The Untold Stories
by A.I.T. - Author In Training
Summary: A collection of random one-shots, short stories, requests, and anything else that I feel like putting in. The events take place in random order. Includes plotless fluff, random adventures, and more!
1. Resemblance

**Resemblance**

"You've never had pizza before?" Fred froze and dropped his slice of Ray's pizza. His mouth hung open in shock.

"Well, I've never had _American_ pizza before. Only original pizza." Kairi analyzed the greasy triangle laying in front of her. She awkwardly poked at it and quickly wiped the grease off on a napkin.

"Original pizza? Ray's is original. It says so on the sign."

Joe shook his head, amused. "Sam says he and Cade will be here in about five minutes by the way." He put his phone back in his pocket.

"Yeah, yeah." Fred waved his hands dismissively at Joe. "But about this whole pizza thing. You have to try it." Fred pushed Kairi's plate closer to her. "It'll be way better than your silly 'original' pizza." He leaned forward expectantly.

"Silly original? No, no, no." Kairi crossed her arms and stared at Fred head-on. "I'm from Italy. The birthplace of pizza."

"Um, pizza is American, Kairi. Everyone knows that." He leaned back with a smug on his face.

"Nope. Definitely Italian. Along with lasagna, gelato, and calzones."

"You can't just claim lasagna." Fred stood and gripped the edge of the table.

"It's true!" Kairi matched him in stance.

Joe pushed the two back into their seats. "How about we sit back down and wait for Sam and Cade to get here."

"Good idea. Sam will know that pizza was created in America."

"Except that it wasn't."

Joe's eyes shifted nervously back and forth between them. He wasn't sure how serious these two were about this. He gave audible sigh of relief when Sam and Cade finally arrived. Cade said something to Sam, who nodded in return. Sam walked towards them, while Cade went off to the bathroom.

"Sam!" Fred gleefully jumped up and wrapped his arm around his friend. "Would you so kindly explain to Kairi here that pizza is an American food?"

"It isn't." Sam pushed Fred's arm off his shoulder slid into the booth next to Joe.

Fred's grin fell. "What?"

"Pizza was invented in Italy around 997 AD."

Fred plopped back down into his seat, a furrowed brow on his face. "But-"

"Told you." Kairi triumphantly held her chin up and pumped her fist for emphasis. She noticed Fred's upset expression and frowned. "Tell you what, I'll try some of your American pizza if you try some of my Italian pizza."

Fred looked up at the mention of a challenge. "Deal." He slid the pizza slice back in front of her. "But I guarantee you Ray's is better."

Kairi rolled her eyes and lifted the pizza to her mouth right as Cade joined them at the table.

"Hey guys." She sat next to Sam and reached for a slice of pizza.

"Hey, Cade." Joe and Fred responded.

Fred didn't take his eyes off of Kairi, who still held the pizza in front of her mouth. "Well?"

Kairi was staring at Cade. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly agape.

"Kairi?" Fred waved his hand in front of her face. "Hello? You still there?"

Kairi jumped. "Sorry. What?" She kept her gaze on Cade, who was now chatting with Sam about hydrogen bonds. The two were clearly still in study mode.

Fred looked at Cade, then back to Kairi. "Do you two know each other?"

Cade glanced out at Kairi, just now noticing her presence. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I'm Cade, and you are?" Cade held out her hand for Kairi to shake.

Kairi numbly shook Cade's hand. "I'm Kairi."

Cade shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Kairi's gaze made her feel like an animal in a zoo. "Um, have we met before?"

Kairi shook her head. "I'm sorry. Really. It's just, you look exactly like someone I met once, but you couldn't be her. I met her," Kairi paused, stopping herself from saying something she shouldn't have. "I met her at a place far away from here."

"Cade is from Australia. Maybe you did meet her once."

Kairi shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant by far away. Like, the place I was talking about isn't near here at all. It's not even possible to really go there. Well, of course it's possible, you just have to meet certain requirements." Kairi bit her lip. "Just forget I said anything."

Cade leaned into Sam and whispered in his ear. "She sure does like to yabber, doesn't she?"

"I'm sorry, Victoria. I mean, what did you say your name was again?" Kairi blushed with embarrassment.

Now it was Cade's turn to stare. "Cade, but Victoria was my mother's name." She studied Kairi. "Did you know my mother?"

Kairi's mouth open and closed like a fish out of water. She had no idea what to say.

"That's impossible. My mother died over three years ago." Cade got in Kairi's face. "Just who are you?"

"It's possible I may have known your mother, but who can really say?" Kairi looked away, avoiding the conversation. "I never tried that pizza!" She scooped it up and tried to put it in her mouth, but Cade lowered her arm.

"Did you know my mother?" Cade's tone had a desperate ring to it. "She left when I was seven. I only remember so much. How could you possibly know her?"

"I can't really explain why or how, but yes, I think I did, and your father too."

"My father?" Cade perked up.

"I used to live in a place where," Kairi thought about how to phrase her lie, "a place where lost travelers used to roam a lot. I kind of helped them get to their final destination." Kairi shrugged and gazed at Cade. "You look just like her you know. She was very family-oriented too. Both her and your father were very upset that they couldn't return to you. I'm assuming you have sisters, right?" Cade nodded, right now Kairi was her only focus. "They talked about you three a lot. Love isn't a strong enough word to describe how they felt about you."

"Where did you come from?"

"I'm from Italy." Kairi broke eye contact, nervous and guilty about lying.

"How long have you lived in Brooklyn?"

"Technically, I haven't even started living here yet. I got here this morning and didn't really think about finding a place to stay." Kairi pursed her lips in thought. "Didn't realize that until now actually."

"Stay with my sisters and me."

"What?"

Sam spoke up. "Do you really think Adrianne will like that?"

"No, but Adrianne hates everything." Cade nodded toward Kairi. "She knew my parents. Though I don't really understand how. Still, if they trusted her, I do." Cade absentmindedly fiddled with her charm bracelet. "I'll take you home after we're done here."

Kairi blinked, not sure what had just happened. "Um, okay. Thanks."

"That's nice and all, but I believe you have a deal to follow through with." Fred once again offered Kairi a slice of pizza. "Eat up."

Kairi smiled at Fred's determination. "Fine, fine." She picked up the pizza slice one last time. She took a bite and thoughtfully chewed on it. "Hmm…"

"Well?" Fred eagerly leaned forward.

"It's okay." She paused to swallow. "But Italian pizza is better."

* * *

**A/N - So yea, this chapter was plotless, but I felt like including it because it had some Fred/Kairi fluff and explained where Kairi would be staying in Brooklyn. And yes, there will be a future chapter explaining how Kairi knows Cade's parents. Anyway, The Untold Stories will be updated randomly. For a full explanation on what to expect from this and when I'll be posting Sour Revenge, check my profile. If you liked what you read, a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Prom Potential

**Prom Potential**

What about Chloe Drishner? She was cute, if you could get over the fact that she was the tallest girl in the school. Fred mentally crossed her off the list. He could not go to prom with a girl who was two feet taller than him.

"Fred?"

Then there was Taylor Lopi. She had a lisp, but was still easy on the eyes. She got crossed off the list when Fred remembered one of his sports buddies saying that they had already asked her out. Fred drummed his fingers on his desk and continued down the list of potential prom dates.

"_Fred_?"

Fred's heart stopped when he realized how limited his choices were. He could not go stag to his junior prom. Even Sam had convinced Cade to go with him. As friends, he added. He mentally rolled his eyes at that. _Yeah right_. Joe was going alone, but only because he claimed to be waiting for someone. Whatever that meant. For a year now he'd been saying that he had some special girl who was coming soon, but he never knew exactly when. He had even turned down a couple offers from girls to go out because of it. A few really pretty girls, Fred noted. Whoever this girl was, she must be very special to Joe.

Fred focused back on his problem. He would not be going alone. He would make sure of that. Even if that meant, he grimaced, going with Sienna, his faithful stalker. Unfortunately, she was starting to look like his only option. He only had a month left to find a date.

"Fred!"

Fred's knees slammed into the underside of his desk. "Ow!" He gave his heart a few seconds to return to a normal beat rate. A few students behind him murmured and tossed puzzled glances his way.

"Sorry. You zoned out on me. We only have ten minutes left of class and this assignment is due today." Kairi tilted her head. "You okay?"

Fred blinked. Kairi. Kairi was on option. His mouth curved upwards in a half smile. "Yeah, actually. Sorry, I was just thinking about prom and stuff."

"Okay. Well, what did you get for thirty?"

Fred frowned. Kairi had gone back to her biology notebook like he hadn't said anything at all. That was not the reaction he wanted. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head in an attempt to show off his muscles and gain her interest.

"It's just, you know, I don't have a date yet. I was thinking about asking Sienna after school."

"What does that have to do with homeostasis?" Kairi had confusion written all over her face.

Fred pressed his lips into a thin line. "It doesn't."

"I'm sure Sienna will be thrilled to go with you, but we should really finish this assignment."

Fred sighed and looked down at his mostly blank worksheet. He jotted down a few, quick answers while thinking of other methods to ask Kairi out. He slowly grinned as an idea struck him. He wasn't going to give up that easily.

* * *

Round two began after school. Fred grabbed his practice helmet off the locker room bench. Like always, the competition cheerleaders and baseball players had practice at the same time. Fred and Kairi always walked home together afterwards. That's when Fred planned to ask her to prom. After he showed off for her at practice though. They had a game on Friday and they were expected to put full effort into practice tonight anyway. Fred smiled to himself. Kairi wouldn't be able to turn him down. Hopefully. His smile quickly disappeared at the thought of rejection. The thought hadn't crossed his mind until now. What if she already had a date?

Fred marched out to the field with his fellow teammates while continuing to think about his current predicament. He mentally kicked himself for not thinking about asking Kairi sooner. She was the obvious choice. The two had become progressively closer over the years. Kairi was always willing to go on his adventures with him, he'd even convinced her to "borrow" _The Book_ with him once. Joe was definitely not happy when he found out about that one. And it's not like Kairi wasn't attractive. Fred thought she was pretty, really pretty. She took care of herself like the popular girls and other cheerleaders, but she didn't overdo it like they did. She wasn't afraid to eat greasy foods. She didn't cover her face with over-the-top make-up. She also knew sports stuff. That was the biggest perk to Fred. Not like all the stats or anything, but she knew the history of them and how they were played. Of course, she was technically older than most sports and could remember when stuff like football or basketball was invented. Still, it was definitely cool to Fred that a girl actually understood sports.

The baseball team walked passed the cheerleaders on their way to the field. Fred immediately turned his charm on. He tossed Kairi a gleaming smile and added a wink. She responded by giving him a confused, scrunched-up look. She turned her head over her shoulder to look behind her, as if to see who he was actually giving that look to.

Fred frowned and continued onto the field. _Okay_, he thought, _this is going to be harder than I thought._

* * *

Fred was acting strange, even for Fred standards. First he was zoning out in the middle of biology, not that he contributed a lot to the answers when they worked together anyway, but still. Then he started talking about prom dates. Kairi chuckled to herself. She picked up on Fred's hints immediately. She knew he was going to ask her to prom. She just couldn't wait for him to finally work up the nerve to do it.

He talked about how he was going to ask Sienna to prom. Kairi couldn't figure out why. She knew Fred couldn't stand her. Did he really think it would make Kairi jealous or something? She shook her head at Fred's foolishness. _Silly boy_, she thought.

Of course Kairi would say yes to Fred. She'd even turned down a few offers from other boys in anticipation of Fred asking her. She liked him, more than she ever admitted to him. She couldn't pin point the exact moment when she started liking him, she just knew she did. She had this gut feeling that they were meant to be together. They had been on all sorts of adventures together. He was so cute when he talked about his heroic ideas and fantasies. Kairi didn't mind going along as his "princess-in-the-tower" girl. She thought it was sweet when he acted all prince-like towards her. Of course, there were plenty of times when the roles were reversed and she had to save his butt.

Kairi shook her head to clear her thoughts before she got too distracted. No time to think about that now. Cheer practice was starting in five minutes. She waited patiently while chatting with a few of her cheer friends.

The baseball team walked by them as usual on their way to practice in the field. Kairi spotted Fred right away. Mainly because she recognized the emblazoned '17' on his jersey, but also because she swore she saw him wink and flash a dazzling smile her way.

Kairi bit her lips to keep from laughing. She had to turn away before it became too obvious to him. She'd definitely have to work on his flirting skills. The over-confident, pretty-boy style did not work well for him.

Kairi noticed Sienna standing behind her. She was twirling her hair and puffing her chest out, acting like the center of attention as usual. A sly smile crossed Kairi's lips. _I could have fun with this._ She giggled playfully.

Kairi focused her attention on the cheer coach and the routine start of practice announcements; competition on Friday, try-outs for next year's captain next month (Kairi made a mental note to practice for that), and bake-sale fundraiser next week.

Kairi gave one final glance at the baseball players, now running drills, before lining up to practice the school fight song. If Fred wanted to pursue Sienna, she wasn't going to stop him. She was lover of all types of love, and was always eager to help a lovesick friend in need.

* * *

"All right, boys! Fifteen minute break! I want you back on the field fully geared at four sharp!"

"Yes, coach!"

Fred hustled off the field and pulled off his helmet. He put his shoulders back, raised his chin, and slowly walked up to the cheerleaders, who were also beginning their break.

"Hey, Kairi." Fred leaned against the metal fence dividing the bleachers from the football field.

Kairi's face turned to him and she waved at him to come over.

_That's more like it_, Fred thought. Happy that his plan was finally working. She must have noticed his excellent work on the field today. His spirits lifted with the thought. Maybe he could get Kairi to go with him to prom after all.

"So I overheard Sienna. She's still looking for a date. Want me to get one of the cheerleaders to tell her you want to ask her out?"

_Wait, what?_ "Uh…"

"Or would you rather ask her in person yourself?" Kairi smiled. "That's really sweet of you actually. I'd recommend getting her some flowers or something too. Girls _love_ that stuff."

"I'm not asking Sienna to prom."

"That's not what you said earlier." Kairi titled her head, studying him. "Did you change your mind?"

Fred thought he detected a hint of hope in her voice. He instantly knew he was wrong. Kairi really seemed like she wasn't not interested in him. He still had to try though. Not yet. It just didn't feel right at the moment. For some odd reason, he felt as strong urge to impress her and make her like him. He'd never had that feeling before. He looked into Kairi's large, light brown eyes. _So pretty_.

"Well, actually, yeah. I do have someone else in mind I want to ask." He stretched his arms, flashing his muscles. "I've been putting in a little extra effort today to get her attention."

"She's here?" Kairi's head whipped around the field, looking for the mysterious girl Fred was impressing. It was just the cheerleaders and the baseball players. "So, she's a cheerleader? But not Sienna?"

Fred nodded. "One of the best."

"Karlie? Our captain?" Kairi stared at the senior girl. Along with being the cheer captain this year so was also head of the track team and the women's basketball team. "_Oh_, that makes sense. She's totally your type. Athletic, pretty, and popular, but doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

Fred frowned. Kairi could not be this innocent. She loved love, romance, and all that sort of stuff. She was usually the one to tell him when some girl was flirting with him. Why couldn't she pick up on this? "Guess again."

"Hmmm…" Kairi tapped her chin. "What's with all these guessing games anyway? You can't just tell me?"

Fred smiled. "I could."

"Then who is it?"

Before Fred could respond, a whistle blew. "Back to practice girls!"

Fred frowned. _Well, crap_. "How about I just tell you on out walk home?"

Kairi put on a happy grin. "I look forward to it."

* * *

Fred wiped his forehead with a rag. The coach had really worked them hard the last hour of practice, but that was to be expected when you had a game coming up. He collected his practice clothes and threw them in his backpack next to some overdue homework and some leftover lunch.

He jaunted out of the locker room, eager to catch up with Kairi so that he could finally ask her to prom. He pushed down all his nervousness. He had to ask her now. Kairi was one of his best friends. She'd make a great prom date. Provided she said yes. They were going to have so much fun.

Fred faltered. Why did that not feel right? He and Kairi were friends and he wanted to have a nice friend to take with him to prom. Nope, it definitely did not sound right to him. He thought about the feeling that he got around Kairi. He was happy. His heart always sped up a little bit when he saw her.

Fred chewed his lip in thought. They didn't necessarily have to go with Kairi to prom as friends. What if they actually went as a couple? The idea had never occurred to him before. Kairi would make a great girlfriend. But Fred didn't exactly have the best track record with girlfriends. The longest relationship he'd ever had was only a few months long and he'd never exactly had a serious girlfriend before. Fred knew he couldn't treat Kairi like his past girlfriends. He'd need to try hard for her. The thought of them together felt right to him.

Fred shrugged. _Why not? _The worst that could happen was that she'd say no, right?

He spotted Kairi waiting for him in front of the school. She had changed out of her practice clothes as well and was back in her usual pink sweater and cream coloured skirt. Fred took a deep breathe. _Let's do this._

"So, ready to tell me all about this future prom date?" Kairi teased him and playfully bumped into him as they started to walk home.

"She's really pretty, likes to wear pink – but it looks good on her – she can talk a lot sometimes – but she's interesting to listen to, and her voice takes on this cute, lyrical happiness to it when she does. What else?" Fred paused, pretending to be thinking. "Well her past is a little sketchy. See, she used to live in Italy until she died. So now she's like this really awesome zombie, but the nice kind."

"Is she now?"

Fred stopped. He had not expected her reaction to be so calm. She had seemed so uninterested in him.

Kairi stopped as well and turned to look at him. "Yes?"

"You-" Fred shook his head in disbelief. "You're not surprised?"

Kairi smiled sweetly at him. "You're not the best at dropping small hints."

"Well, this is great." Fred reached for her hand.

Kairi pulled back. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to hold your hand?"

"You still haven't asked me anything yet."

Fred smirked at her. "Kairi, would you like to go out with me and be my girlfriend?"

That one tripped her up. "Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, you know. I'd be the boyfriend, you'd be the girlfriend. We'd go on dates and stuff. Do all the couple things."

"I thought you just wanted a prom date?"

Fred frowned and looked away. "It's okay. If you want, we can just go to prom as friends. I just thought it'd be nice to go as a couple. I really like you, but if you don't feel the same way it's fine. As long as we can still go on crazy adventures and stuff."

Fred felt Kairi put her hand in his. She squeezed it. "Of course we'll still go on adventures and stuff." She moved so Fred could look into her eyes. "But we'll go on crazy adventures together as a couple.

Fred beamed. "That would be perfect." Fred turned towards the direction they were walking. "Shall I take my lovely girlfriend home?"

Kairi stepped next to him. "I'd love that."

* * *

**A/N - Sorry for the delayed update, but school has gone into overdrive and it's hard to find free time. I'll try to get out at least one chapter a week. I update my profile pretty frequently with updates though. So if you want to stay informed, go there.**

**So yea, this chapter officially gets Kairi and Fred together as a couple. It takes place just a few months before the last chapter in _The War of Time_. I didn't intend for it to be this long, but it sort of just happened that way. If you enjoyed a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Meetings and Greetings

**Meetings and Greetings**

"So you're really back for good? No more Draylon? You're officially a New York resident?"

"For the hundredth time, yes. We have officially moved into New York and we are not planning on returning to Draylon." Sydney rolled her eyes and smiled up at Joe. "I promise."

"Sorry. I wasn't sure when you were coming and now that you're finally here, I just can't believe it. I missed you." Joe leaned his forehead against Sydney's.

"I missed you too." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "It's nice to finally get away."

"I believe we were promised pizza?" Skyler awkwardly stood next to them.

"Oh, yeah. Pizza!" Sydney stepped away from Joe. "_Please_, tell me Ray's is still in business?" When Joe nodded, Sydney practically melted with joy.

Joe chuckled. "Pizza fan?"

"She hasn't had greasy foods in years." Skyler teased her.

Sydney nodded. "Strict training diet. Not exactly my choice. But now I don't have to worry about that anymore." Sydney clasped her hands with excitement. "I am going to drown myself in grease." She licked her lips in anticipation. "Let's go." She grabbed Joe and tried pulling him away.

Joe smiled and followed her.

"What about Anna?"

Joe stopped. Right, Skyler. Joe turned to face Sky and crossed his arms. "She's not even home right now. She's staying with a friend."

"Oh." Skyler looked crestfallen.

"I'm sure we can stop and see her after we get pizza." Sydney nudged Joe's side. "_Right_?"

"What?"

Sydney crossed her arms and whispered to Joe. "Skyler moved here for her. I understand you're just being a big brother, but take it down a notch. I promise I will keep an eye on him for you."

Joe sighed. "Fine. Yes, we will go see Anna after we get pizza."

Skyler perked up. "If we got her before, she could come with us."

"Don't push it."

Sydney tightly wrapped her arms around Joe's waist, a form of affection and a warning to be nice to Skyler. Joe put his arm around her shoulder in return.

"We need to hurry. My friends will be waiting." The three of them began to walk.

"Your friends?"

"Yeah, Fred and Sam. You kind of kidnapped them, remember?"

"Oh, right." Sydney blushed and looked down. "Forgot about all that."

"And Kairi lives here now too. She's actually dating Fred, which is still weird to think about."

"Kairi's here? I haven't seen her since we found out we were cousins. She said she was going off and that she would be fine. My life got so busy after that, I kind of forgot to check up with her." Sydney rubbed the back of her head guiltily.

"I'm sure she'll be gladder to see you again. Ever since I mentioned to her last year that you were coming back to New York, she's been so excited."

They all rounded a corner. "So where is your place located? I can't wait to see it."

"Syd got us a penthouse near Broadway." Skyler smirked and proudly walked next to them. "It is amazing. I can't wait for us to customize it and fill it with tons of cool stuff."

"A penthouse? In Manhattan? Isn't that expensive? And far from Brooklyn."

"Oh, it's very expensive." Sydney gave Joe a sympathetic smile. "And don't worry about me being too far from you. I'm going car shopping soon. I'll be able to come see you anytime I want."

"And I'll be able to come see Anna."

Joe decided to ignore Skyler. "How can afford that?"

Sydney smugly grinned. "Draylon gave me a fancy credit card to cover all my expenses until I finish college. I plan to milk them for all their worth."

"You're going to college? Where?" Joe asked, wondering if they could possibly go to the same university once he graduated. He reminded himself that he needed to start applying to colleges in a few months.

"I'm not actually, but Draylon doesn't need to know that."

"But I still have to go school?" Skyler raised an eyebrow. "Not fair."

"At least I have a high school diploma. I'm not going to make you go to college, but you will at least finish high school."

"But Earth schools are so far behind Draylon. It'd be pointless for me to go."

"Then it should be easy for you. I'll be expecting straight A's."

Skyler grumbled to himself and crossed his arms.

"So, if you're not going to college, what do you plan to do?"

Sydney smiled and threw her arm around a still grumpy Skyler. "Skyler and I are starting our own business."

"Not if I have to go school, we're not."

Sydney punched Skyler's arm. He winced and rubbed the now sore spot.

"Yes, we are. It's too late to back out now. I pulled the only string I had to get us this first job."

Joe studied the two of them. "What kind of business?"

"Dance."

"Dance?"

"New York is definitely the place you want to be for the performing arts, right? It just made the most sense for us. We both love to dance. We're used to working together physically. I mean, we've training together for _years_. Fighting isn't that different from dancing. Sky's my best friend. Even if he gets grumpy when I make him go to school." Sydney teased him.

Skyler looked at her and smiled. He threw an arm around her shoulders. "I'm still excited about this though. It'll be fun to perform or choreograph for shows. Plus-"

"We'll be our own bosses." Sydney and Skyler both nodded decisively.

Joe pretended to not be bothered by the fact they could complete each other's sentences and that they still had their arms around each other. Joe grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her back to him. "That sounds fun."

Sydney softly laughed. "Don't worry. It's just business. Like I've told you before. Sky and I are like brother and sister, nothing more."

Joe smiled, feeling silly that he was worried at all. He trusted Sydney. "Sorry." He blushed. "I believe you. I know you wouldn't ever lie or hide something from me."

Skyler shot Sydney a sidelong glance. "Well-"

Sydney quickly silenced him with a glare and an even harder punch than she had given him before. "Don't tease him. Joe has nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, sorry. I was just joking." Skyler pursed his lips and rubbed his bruised arm.

They had finally reach Ray's Pizza and walked inside. Joe spotted Fred, Sam, and Kairi and led Sydney and Skyler over to the booth where they were sitting.

"Sydney!" Kairi ran up to Sydney and gave her a tight hug.

"You obviously forgot our little talk about personal space." Sydney squirmed.

Kairi stepped back quickly. "Sorry. It's just, it's been so long!" She smiled brightly.

Sydney shook her head and smiled. "It's nice to see you again too."

Kairi blushed again and slid into the booth next to Fred. "Tell me everything that happened with you since I last saw you. Don't skip on any details." She gave Sydney a wary eye. "Nothing bad has happened, right? At least nothing that caused you to, well... you know."

Sydney shook her head. "Stuff has and will happen, but nothing like that."

"Who are you?" Fred and Sam examined Sydney and Skyler, waiting for an explanation. "And why is Kairi acting like you're her best friend?"

"Oh! That's right! You guys don't know each other! This is Sydney and Skyler!" Kairi gestured to them like it was some big reveal.

Fred and Sam responded with blank stares.

"I guess that wouldn't help you much either. Sydney's my cousin! Skyler's basically her best friend. They're time travelers from Draylon. Sydney's actually-" Kairi stopped herself from saying something she shouldn't have. "She's been gone for a long time, but now she's moved back to New York, right?" Kairi looked at her hopefully. Before Sydney could answer, Kairi saw that Sydney and Joe were holding hands. "Oh my gosh!" She looked excitedly back and forth between the two of them. "Are you two dating? Like officially together? So you are staying! I always knew you two would end up together!" Kairi giggled. "This is amazing! I am so happy for you!"

"For the record, there's actually a lot more to me than just being Joe's girlfriend and a time traveler, and Skyler's not just my best friend." Sydney awkwardly sat down next to Joe in the booth.

Before the boys could say anything, a phone rang. Sam looked down as he noticed it was his phone. He looked at the caller ID and smiled.

"Great, here we go again." Fred sighed.

Sam rolled his eyes and walked outside to answer his phone. Sydney looked to Joe for an explanation. "You'll see." He put his arm back around her shoulder.

"Maybe it'll be good to have you around, Sydney, now Joe won't be the fifth wheel anymore." Fred smirked.

Joe reached across the table to whack Fred in the head. "Would you shut up?"

"No."

The gang looked over at the door as the bell above it chimed when Sam and someone else entered. They slid back into the booth next to Fred and Kairi.

Fred smirked. "This is Sammy's little girlfriend."

Sam blushed. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Oh, sorry, I forgot. They're friends with benefits."

"Fred!" Sam blushed even more. He sighed. "This is Cade." He gestured to the curly red-head sitting next him. "And you're Sydney and Skyler, right?"

They nodded in response. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Cade shyly looked down at the menu.

"Don't worry about her. She likes to pretend to be shy, but once you actually get to know her, she won't leave you alone or stop spazzing about whatever latest science discovery she's made."

Cade glared at Fred. "Just because I like learning new things, doesn't mean you have to get upset when you can't understand them."

Fred frowned. "Whatever, nerd."

Cade rolled her eyes and looked back at Sydney and Skyler. "I promise I'm not that much of a nerd."

"You're the definition of a nerd."

Cade's eyebrows pinched together. Sam sympathetically patted her arm and shook his head, reminding her that Fred wouldn't back down and it wasn't worth the argument. He knew Cade and Fred didn't hate each other, they just liked to make fun of each other a lot.

"So, Kairi said you guys are time travelers from Draylon? Where's that? I've never heard of it before." Sam leaned forward with interest.

"Uh…" Sydney and Skyler exchanged glances, deciding how much to share. "It's not that special. Just a small place for time travelers to go to. The Warper Academy I there, and that's where we went to school."

"There's a Warper Academy?" Sam looked to Joe. "Have you heard of that? Maybe you should go there, maybe actually learn how to use _The Book_."

"Hey, I've gotten a lot better with _The Book_." Joe pouted and slouched down.

Sydney kissed him on the cheek and whispered something into his ear. Joe smiled and sat back up.

"You're that special girl Joe's been waiting for, aren't you? Man, it _will_ be nice to have you around. Joe's been acting so weird for the past year. Do you know how many cute girls he's turned down? He went to prom alone this year."

Sydney stared at Joe. "You went to prom alone?"

Joe shrugged. "We've technically been dating for over a year now. I would've felt like I was cheating on you or something."

Sydney blushed. "That's sweet." She gave him another peck on the cheek.

Their food arrived at the table. Three large pizzas with various toppings. Sydney immediately dove for a slice and ate half in one bite.

She moaned. "Thank you, sweet gods of greasy foods. I needed this."

Fred laughed. "I like her, Joe. She's got my approval. Where have you been hiding her?"

Joe put on a flirty grin. "Sorry, I'll be sure to show her off more often."

Sydney's blush deepened, but she managed to return the flirty grin. "Only if _I_ decide _you_ let out."

"And thanks for making it awkward again." Skyler spoke as he reached for a pizza slice.

Sydney teased back, "As your legal guardian, I can keep you inside too if you'd like."

"No thanks."

"Let them flirt. It's cute." Kairi was sitting across from them eagerly watching Joe and Sydney's exchange.

"Not so cute when you've been around it all day."

"Well, welcome to our little group guys. Anybody who likes pizza is a friend of mine." Fred happily munched on a slice.

Joe rolled his eyes and looked back at Sydney. He leaned into her and kissed her. His forehead and nose lingered on hers. "I'm so glad you're finally back."

Sydney leaned into him. "It'll be nice not to worry about any crazy happenings anymore. I don't even remember what it's like to be a mortal. It's good to be back."

* * *

**A/N - Sorry the chapters in this story aren't that interesting. This one obviously takes place after the end of _The War of Time_ and most of it was just explaining what Sydney and Skyler are going to do in New York and how they met the rest of the gang. I definitely changed some stuff around. In case you didn't notice, I discontinued _The Here and Now_ and it's not really related to my series anymore.**

**If you enjoyed, a favourite and a review would be very much appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Moving Worlds

**Moving Worlds**

If Sydney wasn't holding Joe's hand, he would've walked away a long time ago.

"Do I really have to do this?"

"_Joe_," Sydney gave him a disappointed look. "Be nice. It will be okay. She can handle herself, and I promise Sky won't hurt her."

Joe grumbled to himself and knocked on the door. A short, olive-skinned girl with black hair opened the door.

"Yes?" The girl looked at Joe and tilted her head. "Aren't you Anna's brother?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah, can you go get her for me? I, uh, need to see her for a second."

The girl disappeared into the house. A few moments later, Anna appeared.

"Joe? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Anna saw that Sydney was standing next to him. "Sydney! When did you get back?"

Sydney smiled. "Not too long ago. That's not why we're here though."

"Then why-" Anna spotted Skyler waiting behind Joe and Sydney. "Skyler?" Anna's face instantly lit up. "What are you doing here?" Anna pushed past Joe and bounced up to Skyler.

At this point, Sydney was holding onto Joe to prevent him from holding Anna and Skyler apart.

"I moved here with Sydney." Skyler nervously scratched the back of his neck, as if second guessing his decision. He hadn't stopped asking when they were going to leave Ray's to go see Anna. Now that he was here, he seemed to be doubting himself. His nervousness was very obvious.

Anna seemed oblivious however. "Really?" She paused to frown. "But I thought you were training to be a time agent? How are you going to do that in New York?"

"I sort of change plans."

"Oh?"

"How about we let these two catch up on their own?" Sydney whispered to Joe and tried to lead him away.

"What? No way!" Joe stubbornly resisted her.

Sydney frowned at him, deciding she was going to have to try a little harder to get him to give Skyler and Anna some alone time. "I just assumed you'd want to go to my new home and do a little catching up of our own. I brought over my old bed." Her voice had taken on a low and alluring tone while her hand ran flirtatiously down his arm.

Joe bit his lip, caught between spending some quality alone time with his long-lost girlfriend and making sure his little sister stayed young and innocent. "But-"

"_Please_?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "I've _really_ missed you."

Joe sighed, giving in to his hormonal teenage boy side. "Fine."

They walked past Skyler and Anna, who were still awkwardly talking to each other. "I'll see you later, Sky. Try not to get lost on the way back. Oh, and I'm sure Anna would love to hear about why you moved to New York."

"Wait, what?" Skyler turned to them. They had already disappeared around the corner. His nervousness instantly shot up. He was not expecting to be left alone with Anna.

"What was she talking about?"

Skyler looked back at Anna. "Oh, um, I'm not sure," he trailed off.

"Skyler, why did you move to New York?" Anna asked. She had a worried tone.

"It's nothing bad. I promise," Skyler said, picking up on Anna's uneasiness. "I- Syd was taking such a big chance on moving here just to be with Joe. Well, I guess she was going to leave either way, but she chose to go to New York because of Joe. So I followed her lead and came to New York for you."

Anna's face was blank. "For me?"

"I'm sorry. I feel so stupid. I just think you're really cute and you seem like a great girl and I thought we could go out or something." By the end of his speech he was mumbling.

Anna barely understood the last part. "You want to go out with me? Like as boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah."

Anna blushed. "I've never had a guy move worlds just to be with me before. I've never really had a guy do anything for me before," she said, thinking back on her past middle-school and freshman year boyfriends, not that any of them were serious or lasted long.

"I'm pretty special I guess." Skyler winced and looked away. "Sorry. I know I can come off as a little over-confident sometimes."

"I think confidence is really attractive."

Skyler stared at Anna. "Really?"

Anna's lips turned upwards and her head bobbed up and down excitedly. "Definitely."

"So… did you want to? Go out that is. I completely understand if you don't. I mean, you don't know me very well and it probably seems a little creepy that I came here because of you."

Anna was still processing the fact that Skyler had left his old life behind just to be with her. She had a hard time believing him. Of course she liked him. She knew she did the moment she stepped on his toes over a year ago. He was too cute to resist. "I'd love to."

Skyler's dark brown eyes lit up with joy. "You have no idea how much of a relief that is. I was worried I moved all the way out here for nothing."

Anna giggled. "I can't believe you came here just for me."

Skyler shrugged. "It just felt like the right thing to do." He looked into her eyes. "There was something about you when we first met. I still can't figure out what it was, but I knew I wanted more of it." He flashed her a smile. "I'm glad I can get more."

Anna's cheeks reddened, "Have you ever even been to New York before?"

"Not exactly."

"How about I go tell my friend that I'm heading home early? I could show you around, help you get acclimated. Or you could show me your new place! Is it nice?"

Skyler thought about how Sydney and Joe had just left to go there to be alone. He inwardly cringed. "Maybe we could go see a movie or something instead? Like a date?" Skyler tentatively reached for Anna's hand. Once he had it, he grasped it firmly.

Anna's eyes sparkled. "I think that would be perfect."

* * *

**A/N - There's still about five chapters left to post before I start posting Sour Revenge. Don't worry, it'll be here before you know it! If you enjoyed, a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chemistry

**Chemistry**

"Can anyone tell me what Mexican General Santa Anna is known for doing 1838?" Mr. Malone looked around the room as he waited for a student to answer.

"He was exiled," Sam answered before anyone could even raise their hand.

"Incorrect. Would anybody else like to give it a shot?"

Sam fell back in his seat. _What?_

"He held a funeral with full military honors for his amputated leg," Kairi answered from behind him.

"Correct. Thank you, Kairi. Now, what was the purpose of the safety coffin?"

Sam raised his hand without thinking about it.

"Sam? Care to try again?"

Sam dropped his hand. "Um, it was…" Sam's eyebrows pinched together in thought. "I think it was…" his voice trailed off.

"Anyone else?"

"They allowed people who were accidentally buried alive to let others know that they weren't dead." Again, Kairi answered from behind Sam.

"Excellent."

Sam heard Fred snicker next to him. He shot him a glare, which only made Fred snicker more. Sam sighed and fell back into his seat. So he missed a few questions, it wasn't the end of the world. It certainly didn't require Fred to laugh at him.

Before their Unusual History teacher could ask another question, the bell rang. Without waiting for the teacher to officially dismiss them, the class hurriedly picked up their things and left.

"What's wrong, Sam? Upset that you don't know everything?" Fred stood up and put his arm around Kairi's shoulder.

"It's just a few history questions, Fred. It's not that big of a deal." He pushed his glasses back up. "How do you know so much obscure history anyway, Kairi? It's like you were there."

Kairi bit her bottom lip. "Just comes naturally to me I guess."

"Yea, but-"

"You're just jealous because I have a girlfriend who's smart, cute, and awesome. While Cade's just smart."

Sam shook his head and continued to walk to his locker. "Cade is not my girlfriend, Fred."

"She should be." Kairi spoke up. "Everyone already thinks you two are dating anyway. You guys would be _so_ adorable together! Didn't you have fun with her at prom last year? I live with her. We talk all the time. You know she likes you, right?"

Sam blushed and hid his head in his locker. "Of course I enjoyed prom with her, but Cade's just a friend who I can actually talk to about science, history, and-"

"And other nerd stuff. We get it, but that's exactly why you should date her. Who else would put up with your geekiness? You need a girlfriend, dude. I have Kairi, Joe has Sydney, and even Anna is dating that Skyler guy. You're the only one left."

Sam rolled his eyes and tucked his AP Chemistry book under his arm. "We're just friends."

"Why are you so scared to ask her out? Don't act like you're not into her."

"I'm not scared. I just-"

Fred smirked. "Sure about that? Because here's your chance."

Sam felt Cade's presence next to him before he saw her. "Hey, Sam. Ready for chemistry?" Cade paused when she noticed that Sam was blushing, Fred was smirking, and Kairi was eagerly looking back and forth between them. "Is everything okay?"

"We were just talking about how Sam is the biggest scaredy-cat I know."

"I am not."

"In that case, I believe Sam had something to ask you Cade."

Cade eyed Sam. "You did?"

"_No_, I didn't. Fred's being stupid."

"You'd be so much happier in a relationship, Sam." Kairi sympathetically smiled at him.

"Relationship?" Cade tightened her grip on her textbook. "What is she talking about?" Cade eyed Kairi in a 'you-better-not-have-told-him-anything' sort of way.

The warning bell rang, reminding students to get to class soon. "Our lab partner relationship. Come on, we'd better get to class."

"Oh." Cade looked down, a mixture of relief and disappointment on her face.

* * *

Sam and Cade's hands brushed each other as they both reached for the chemical bottle.

"Sorry." Sam pulled his hand back and let Cade grab the bottle and add it to the mixture they were making. _Stop acting so weird, Sam. Fred and Kairi were just messing with you._

"Did you hear about the red fox found in Yosemite?" Cade carefully measured out the chemical before adding it into the flask.

"The what?"

"A few researchers discovered a rare Sierra Nevada red fox at Yosemite. It's really interesting because a fox like that hasn't been seen there in almost a century."

"Oh, really?" Cade had this fascination with animals. She was planning to study zoology in college and hopefully work with a zoo or research team in the future. She had this way with animals that Sam thought was unnatural, but still fascinating. Growing up in wild Australia had probably helped her a little bit.

"Mhmm. They hope that this means that there are more out there. They're on the endangered species list right now. It'd be great if they could find more though."

Cade's eyes dazzled like they did whenever she got talking about something science related. Sam's lips turn upwards. He loved that Cade cared about knowledge. Joe and Fred were his best friends, and he liked hanging out with them, but it was so nice to be with Cade and talk about this kind of stuff. He needed someone like that in his life.

_You know she likes you, right?_

Sam shook his head. Kairi was just talking too much like she always did. No way had Cade actually felt that way towards him. They were smart people. They could think through their emotions… right?

"-acid?"

Sam started. "What?"

Cade tilted her head and gave him a puzzled look. "I said, can you hand me the hydrofluoric acid? We need it for the next step."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Sam measured out the acid and handed it to her. She added it to the clear solution.

"Where were you?" Cade smirked at him. "It's not safe to zone-out while working with chemicals, you know."

"I was just thinking about something Kairi said to me earlier."

"What came out of that busy mouth of hers this time?"

"Nothing really. She and Fred were just teasing me about us like usual, and Kairi said that you liked me." Sam laughed to himself. "Crazy, right?"

Cade almost dropped the beaker she was holding. "She did?" Cade turned her face away to hide her blush. "That is crazy. Just Kairi talking too much like always I guess."

"That's what I thought. I mean, you could never like me in that way. You and I are smart enough to think about things and not just respond to our hormones."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, all our friends dove into their relationships headfirst. They didn't think about anything. They just did it."

Cade chuckled. "That's how love works, Sam. It makes you do insane things like that. Not everything has to be thought through or boiled down to a science." Cade grinned at him. "You really need to learn to take a risk or two sometime."

Sam thought about how Cade jumped on any chance she got to explore or learn something new. She never seemed to put much thought into it. She trusted her instincts and went for it. Sam was about to respond, but then he realized that Cade had never officially denied Kairi's claim. "So, Kairi was telling the truth then? You _do_ like me?"

"I didn't say that." Cade kept her face focused on the experimental mixture. She added a few more chemicals. The mixture was now a soft pink colour.

"But you didn't not say it."

"You think too much."

"I just want to understand what's going on with us."

"What us?" Cade studied him. "No offense, Sam, but you don't really seem like you are capable of liking someone that way." She shrugged. "You put too much thought into things instead of just acting. A good relationship requires some spontaneity, which you don't have."

"I can be spontaneous."

Cade shook her head. "No, you can't."

"Yes, I can."

"No-"

Sam kissed Cade zealously on the lips. Cade fell back, stunned.

Sam went wide-eyed and turned away. "See? I can be spontaneous."

Cade remained silent and still.

Sam started to panic. "Oh, jeez. Cade, I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from. Don't be mad." Sam could feel himself hyperventilating.

"Kairi was right."

"What?"

"Kairi was right. I do like you, and if this spontaneous side of you comes out more often, maybe you are capable of falling in love with another person."

"Of course I am. I have emotions and it's not like I don't have hormones. I _am_ an eighteen-year-old boy."

Cade grabbed the last acid to pour in, trying to keep herself busy and not focused on Sam. "So, what does this mean then?"

"Uh…" Sam hadn't thought that far. He hadn't thought at all. It felt… nice. He smiled to himself. "I guess I could use a girlfriend, and you seem like a good choice."

Their solution had now turned hot pink, matching the colour of Cade's cheeks. "Oh." She was speechless. This was not how she had expected chemistry class to go.

"So, um, yeah. Cade, do you want to be my… girlfriend?" Those were words Sam never thought he'd say.

Cade set the hot pink solution down. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words."

* * *

**A/N - and now all my couples are officially together. I can't to write more about them and show off the different dynamics of their relationships. I'm probably going to post a few chapters of them going on dates to show that. But next comes weddings and kids! ;) If you enjoyed a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	6. Let's Get Hitched

**Let's Get Hitched**

Joe softly stroked Sydney's hair. She warmly smiled in her sleep and snuggled closer to him.

"Morning." Sydney's voice was muffled by Joe's chest.

"Happy anniversary."

Sydney looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. "I haven't been sleeping that long have I? It's still June, right?"

"Yeah, but three years ago today was when you came back to New York and we really started dating."

Sydney shook her head and chuckled. "That makes it Anna and Skyler's anniversary." She stretched out her body and rolled over onto her stomach. "Our _actual_ anniversary is in January."

Joe kept his comments about Anna and Skyler to himself. He told Sydney he'd give Skyler a chance and let up on him and Anna. He knew that Skyler was a big part of Anna's life. Anna appeared happy with her relationship at least, but Joe knew that protective-big-brother part of him would never go away.

He loved Sydney and he also understood that Skyler was a big part of her life. Together, they'd become very successful dancers and choreographers. It was little annoying that he had to share her so much. There were definitely times that he wished he could have her to himself all the time. Getting married would be his best option for getting to spend more time with her. Actually, that didn't sound like a bad idea to Joe.

"I still choose to think of it as a special day for us. I was thinking we could go out and have a nice dinner. The Plaza is having a summer solstice ball tonight. That could be fun."

Sydney laughed again. "But it's Netflix night. I was looking forward to lounging around in comfy clothes. Besides, I'm _still_ behind on Earth television."

"Okay. We'll watch some stuff now and then in a few hours we'll go out."

Sydney wrapped the sheet around herself and sat up. "_No_. I have a meeting today. And _you_ need to get back to your dorm and grab an overnight bag because you forgot to bring one yesterday."

"I had other things on my mind." Joe pulled Sydney back down next to him and kissed her softly.

She happily complied. "What time is it anyway?"

"About eleven."

Sydney groaned. "Why do you do this to me? You know whenever you don't stay the night, I wake up at seven like a normal person."

"That is not normal. And it's not like you don't wear me out just as much."

Sydney smirked. "Not my fault you can't handle me."

"Is that a challenge?"

"As much as I'd like it to be, my meeting starts in two hours and I need to get ready. So you should get going." Sydney leaned over to kiss him. "But I'll see you tonight, okay? Sky will be gone and we'll have the whole place to ourselves. Is that enough of an anniversary celebration for you?"

"As long as I get to take on that challenge."

* * *

Joe walked into Sydney's penthouse to see a very comfy Sydney lounging on her plush sofa surrounded by her extravagant décor. After she and Skyler had moved to New York, they proceeded to decorate their place with the most expansive and trendy stuff they could find. They claimed that they were both too used to a life of luxury to live like average mortals. Joe knew that was only part of it. Sydney also enjoyed spending Draylon's money as a form of silent revenge. She only had the card for another year, so she was throwing some crazy expenses on there.

She was wearing black yoga pants and one of Joe's old high school shirts. Her hair was tied up in a lopsided messy bun. It was her usual lazy Netflix night attire.

Joe silently snuck up behind her to give her a surprise kiss. "Hello, beautiful."

Sydney laughed. "Hello you." She moved over so Joe would have room to sit down next to her. "So since you were in such a romantic mood this morning, I queued up some bad romantic comedies. I figured we could both laugh at the silly plot lines."

Joe grinned. "What are our options?"

"Our first choice is a stereotypical story about two high school friends who grew up together and never thought to be more than friends. But one night fate steps in and causes sparks to fly at prom." Sydney spoke the words overdramatically to add emphasis to their silliness.

"Tempting."

"Our second choice is about two people who catch each other's eyes from across the room at a wedding. They have a wild night of fun, but when they go their separate ways, they realize that they have fallen in love, but have no way to find the other person. They must search all of New York to find each other and risk it all for a happily ever after."

"Maybe."

"Our final choice is my personal favorite. It's a story of friends-with-benefits who get drunk one night and wake up married the next day. Just when they're about to get a divorce, they realize there may be more to their relationship than they thought."

"Why don't we get married?" The words came out of Joe's mouth before he could stop it.

"No, it's called _Friends-With-Rings_. Stupid title if you ask me."

"I meant you and me."

Sydney busted out into laughter. Joe just stared at her in response. Sydney noticed and paled. "Oh god, you're serious." She jumped off the couch and raised her hands in a 'calm-down' gesture. "Are you crazy? We can't get married!"

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, I'm dressed for Netflix night, not a wedding." She gestured from her hair to her outfit.

Joe stood up and pulled her close. "You look beautiful as always." He passionately kissed her.

For a moment, Sydney melted into his arms and kissed back. She pushed him away when she remembered the situation they were in. "Joe, I love you, but we can't get married."

"But why not? You just said you love me, and you know I love you too. Didn't you ever picture us getting married?"

"Of course I have. I just always pictured it happening years from now. Like after you graduate college and we'd lived together for a while."

"We basically live together now. I'm always here or you're always back at my dorm with me. And why should age matter? All you need is love."

"There are plenty of times when we're not together, like when you're in class, or I'm at rehearsal, or when you're at book training with your uncle."

Joe titled his head and gave her a look that said he knew she was just grasping at straws now. "Look, if you didn't want to get married because you didn't like me that way, I'd understand, but you do like me that way, so why not get married?" He grasped her hands and held on tight so she wouldn't run away. He got down on one knee in front of her. He felt her tense up. "I may not have a ring on me, and this certainly was not how I was planning to spend my night, but I love you, Sydney. Will you marry me?"

Sydney sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" She looked down at Joe and smiled. "Yes. Let's get married."

Joe felt bad about not having a ring. He looked around the room for something to put on her finger, but all he saw was a black marker. He quickly drew a circle around her ring finger. "It's only temporary. I promise. I'll get you a real ring soon."

Joe jumped up and pulled Sydney in for a kiss. This time, Sydney let herself fully melt into it. "Let's go." Joe pulled Sydney towards the door.

It took a few seconds for Sydney to register what was going on. "What? You mean now?" She dug her heels into the ground to stop Joe.

"That's the plan. We're like fifteen minutes away from city hall. It can't be that hard to elope."

"Elope? Joe, most couples stay engaged for a while then have weddings."

"An ex-goddess and a boy who owns a magic book containing all of time? I don't think we qualify as a normal couple. This seems fitting for us. Come on, it'll be fun. Let's just jump into this headfirst."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Let me grab my car keys."

* * *

Sydney anxiously checked her phone while they waited on a bench inside city hall. They had been told they could get married tonight, but they'd have to wait their turn.

"Expecting a call?" Joe caught that this was the tenth time Sydney had looked at her phone.

"Actually, yes. There's something I-"

"Five hundred seventy-three."

Joe glimpsed down at the slip of paper he was holding. "That's us." He stood up and reached for Sydney's hand. "Ready?" He winked at her.

Sydney smirked and took Joe's hand. "As ready as I'll ever be."

They were led into a small chamber where a stout women in a black dress suit patiently stood against the back wall.

"Good evening. I'll be your wedding officiant. This will only take about two minutes. So don't blink, or you'll miss it." She'd probably said that joke a hundred times today, but she laughed like it was the best thing she'd ever heard. Joe and Sydney awkwardly smiled and waited for her to calm down. "Now, I have to ask you two a few preliminary questions before I can wed you two. First, are you currently under the influence of any drugs, alcohols, or any other items that may inhibit your thought processing abilities?"

They both answered no.

"Good. Next, are you both here willingly and not forcibly by any nature?"

They both answered yes. They squeezed each other's hands, both impatient to get on with it. After a few more required and somewhat annoying questions verifying that they were sure they wanted to do this and were fully aware of what they were getting into, the woman finally got to the main event. She instructed Joe and Sydney to stand facing each other and to grab each other's hands.

"Now, do you, Joseph Arthur, take Sydney Myer to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," he answered without hesitation.

"And do you, Sydney Myer, take Joseph Arthur to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Sydney shook her head in disbelief. "I still can't believe we're doing this." She smiled at Joe. "I do."

"Then by the authority invested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may-"

Joe pulled Sydney in for a kiss before she could finish. The woman awkwardly smiled as the two had their moment.

They broke apart for a moment, leaning the foreheads against each other and letting their noses touch. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Not that I don't love sweet moments like this, but we have other couples who need to come in. Have a lovely night you two. Congratulations!"

They thanked her and hustled out of city hall.

Joe looked around the street and bit his lip.

"Having second thoughts already? That didn't take long." Sydney smirked at him.

Joe gave her one his cocky grins. "Never." He tugged her in for another kiss. "I couldn't just abandon _my wife_ like that, now could I?" He spoke the word wife with love.

Sydney blushed. "Well _husband_, what's next?"

Joe looked down. "I was trying to think if any jewelry places would be open this late, but I doubt there are any. I really want to buy you a ring. You deserve one." He ran his thumb over her empty ring finger.

Sydney gave him a sly smile. "I have a better idea."

* * *

"Tattoos?" Joe looked at Sydney with an incredulous look on his face.

"Why not? You said it yourself, we're not a normal couple. So why should we get normal wedding rings? Besides, these guys are great! It's where I've gone for all my tattoos and piercings in the past."

She absentmindedly traced her collarbone where Joe knew she had one tattoo. He was never sure if it was the silhouette or a dancer or a fighter. The black tattoo covered one of her many battle scars. She had another simple tattoo on her upper right rib cage of the word 'passion' written in a fancy, curvy script. She had made sure the tattoos were small enough that she could easily cover them up for a performance if she needed to. As for piercings, she'd only had her left tragus and her belly button done. That was all she had so far, but Joe remembered her saying something about wanting more.

Joe stared at her and shrugged. "Let's do this."

Sydney grabbed Joe's hands and pulled him inside the building. "Hello, Josh."

A heavily tattooed man at behind the counter and looked up when they came in. He grinned when he recognized Sydney. "How's it going, Sydney? Here to get those hip tattoos we talked about?"

"Not tonight." She held up her and Joe's clasped hands. "We just got married, and we're in need of some rings."

Josh nodded. "Well congrats on getting hitched. What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Joe's ring finger still tingled. The process didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He slowly traced the design. The date, June 21, 2014, was written on the underside of their fingers. They had each other's initials on the topside of their fingers in an intricate script with wavy lines connecting on the sides of their fingers connecting the date and the letter. Joe smiled, the S on his finger had turned out really good.

"Thanks again, Josh." Sydney quickly paid with her Draylon card.

"Anytime. Congrats again!"

They walked out the store hand in hand and slowly headed back to Sydney's place.

Sydney leaned her head on Joe's shoulder. "I did not think this would be how I would spend my day. I got engaged, I bought a house, and then I got married. All in one day."

Joe stopped. "You bought a house?"

Sydney blinked. "Oh, yea! Everything's been happening so fast I forgot to tell you. My meeting today was to finalize all the paperwork. Now, I'm the owner of a house. Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to move in together. But," she looked down at their now-tattooed fingers, "I think I already know the answer to that."

Joe beamed down at her. "That sounds amazing."

Sydney grinned. "Glad you think so. I want to remodel parts of it, so we won't be able to move in for a while. They think everything should be done within a month though. It's four bedrooms, large open floor plan, and I'll have to show you everything once I get the keys."

"Why don't we go back to my dorm?"

Sydney gave him a quizzical look. "Why? My place is closer. And isn't Fred there anyways? We wouldn't be alone."

Joe put on a secretive grin. "I was thinking we could grab _The Book_ and go on a honeymoon. That's usually what follows a wedding."

"We can't just disappear for two weeks, Joe. No one even knows we got married."

"Relax. We'll go on a honeymoon for as long as we want, and when we're done, I'll warp us back to tonight so we can tell everyone. Then, we could even go on a second honeymoon afterwards." He winked at her.

Sydney smiled. "Where did you have in mind?"

"There's this beautiful place called Corfu Island in Greece. There's an amazing cove there that's been untouched by people. I went there with this really cool girl once. You remind me of her actually."

Sydney suppressed her giggles. "Oh, really? Sounds fascinating. I can't wait to see it."

"I can't wait to show you." He paused and put on a flirty grin. "Also, I believe there was a mention of me not being able to handle you? I'd very much like to prove that wrong."

Sydney returned his flirty grin. "I'd very much like to be proven wrong."

* * *

**A/N - So I could've divided this into two chapters, but decided to throw it all into one long chapter. And I know elopements don't exactly work like this in real life, but for the sake of this story they do. :P Anyways, if you enjoyed a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Welcome to the World: March 25, 2015

**Welcome to the World: March 25, 2015**

"Joe get up."

I felt someone roughly push me around. I moaned and clutched my pillow. "Five more minutes." I succeeded in pulling away from the rude hands and tried drifting back to sleep.

If only I was so lucky. "Not five more minutes, now!" The hands returned to shake me.

I grumbled and swatted the hands away.

"Joe, we need to get to the hospital."

I lifted my head and saw the owner of the mean hands through blurry eyes. Sydney stood with her hands on her hips glaring down at me.

"Is someone hurt?"

"You will be if you don't get up." She grabbed my arms and pulled me off our bed.

I landed with a hard thump. "Ow." I rubbed my back where I had fallen. "Okay, okay. I'm up, I'm up. What is it?"

"My water just broke."

* * *

How did I end up here? I was barely twenty and already having my first child. I loved Sydney, but this kid wasn't exactly planned. We hadn't even been married for a year yet. She'd gotten pregnant on our honeymoon.

I looked over at her trying to relax in the passenger's seat. She had her eyes closed and her chest rose and fell softly as she took deep breaths. Of course, I was terrified, but I was also excited to have a kid and I already loved it. I knew I'd have a kid eventually anyway. I'd met my own great granddaughter, so it had to happen sometime. I just didn't think it would happen so soon.

Which brings me back to my original question. How did I end up here?

We had just moved into the new house after Sydney had completed all the renovations she wanted. We had been inviting our friends over to check out the new place. Kairi was sitting at our kitchen counter. I was pretending to listen to her excited babble. Apparently today was some special day for her and Fred.

"Where's Sydney?" Kairi paused her happy rant and looked around our kitchen, as if she was expecting Sydney to just appear out of one of the cabinets.

I looked at the digital clock on the microwave. "Huh, she's usually up by now. It's almost eleven."

"Maybe she's in her studio?"

Sydney had converted our top level attic into a dance studio for her and Skyler to work out of. It was a really pretty room. The ceiling was made of stained glass and the sunlight shone in during the day and reflected off the walls covered in long mirrors. There was a small storage room in the corner where we kept old stuff we didn't really have much use for. I could easily see how the room greatly inspired them with their work.

I shook my head as I answered Kairi's question. "No, the house would be shaking from music." She must've been in our bedroom still. "I'll be right back."

I got up and left towards the bedroom. I gently pushed open the door. "Sydney?"

She was curled up under the sheets, deep asleep. I walked up to her and softly shook her. "Sydney? You feeling okay?"

She mumbled in her sleep and rolled over.

"Sydney, it's almost eleven. You never sleep in this late. Are you feeling okay?"

"Mmm… fine, leave."

I crossed his arms. I was not going to give up that easily. Something was clearly not right with her. "No. You never sleep in like this. Something's got to be wrong. Sit up."

I sat down next to her. After a minute of struggling I forced her to sit up. She glared at me.

"Alright, I'm up. What do you want?" She snapped at me.

I looked at her with concern. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You don't look too good. And you never snap at me like that."

"I'm-" She paused. She got a panicked look on her face and pushed me out of the way. I fell onto the floor as she bolted out of the room.

"I know you're ticked that I woke you up, but was that really necessary?" I slowly stood back up and winced at the pain in my lower back.

I looked in the direction that she had taken off in. I frowned and walked towards the bathroom where Sydney was on her knees vomiting into the toilet. I leaned against the door frame. "Still think you're okay?"

Sydney looked up and glared at me.

888

"Dang, not even married for a month and you're already getting sick." Kairi sympathetically looked at Sydney.

Sydney's only response was a glare.

I set a bowl of soup on the table in front of Sydney. "There you go."

Sydney started eating it and immediately cringed. "It tastes like hot water."

"You know I'm not a good cook. My skills are limited to toast, sandwiches, and ice."

"And even you manage to screw those up sometimes."

"I just held your hair back for fifteen minutes, you owe me. And why are you being so snippy anyway? This is not like you at all. Are you really that sick?"

Sydney rolled her eyes and went back to her soup.

"How do you think you even got sick to begin with?" Kairi asked.

Sydney shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? All I know is I feel nauseous, I have a migraine, and I'm pretty sure I have a fever." She placed her hand on her forehead. "You don't think it's one of those cold things again, do you?"

I shook my head and suppressed my laugh. As a goddess, Sydney had never had any diseases or infections. Her first cold had been quite the experience for her. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor?"

Sydney shook her head. "No. I can drive myself."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

888

"Kairi is going to be so upset with you." Sam shook his head at Fred.

"Come on. She won't be that mad." Fred heard the uncertainty in his own voice.

Sydney walked in, but the boys were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't notice her. "Hey. Have you two seen-"

"You're right, she won't be mad. She'll be crying her eyes out." Sam interrupted.

"No, she won't… right?" Fred bit his lip in uncertainty.

Sydney tried to speak up again. "Where's-"

Sam interrupted again. "You forgot the day you two first kissed. Kairi will hate that. You know how she is. Every milestone in your relationship, even the small ones, means everything to her."

"I didn't forget. I just didn't plan anything special. She won't be mad. Kairi doesn't get mad."

"She'll still be upset. And that's supposed to be better?"

"Guys, I really need-" Sydney attempted to talk.

"I'll make it up to her."

Sydney pursed her lips in annoyance. She marched up to the boys sitting on the couch in her living room. She picked Fred up by the collar of his shirt and threw a threatening glare at him.

"Hi, I'm Sydney. Joe's wife. Remember me? I'm looking for Joe." She leaned her face in close. "Where is he?"

"Kitchen." He spoke quickly and pointed towards the kitchen. He winced as if Sydney had hit him.

Sydney dropped him on the couch and smiled. "Thank you." She stepped over his legs and walked into the kitchen.

"Today is just not a good day for you, is it?" Sam snickered and teased him.

Sydney walked up to me in the kitchen with a scared expression on her face. I rushed up to her, thinking the worst. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She let out a shakey breath. "We need to talk."

"What is it? Is it serious? Are you going to die?" I quickly wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

She laughed and pushed me away. "No, it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

"You're what?" I looked at Sydney, shocked and wide eyed.

Sydney nodded and shrugged. She smiled, but there was a sadness hidden in it. "I didn't plan on it either, but here we are."

I sat down heavily in the chair behind me, "I'm still in college. I don't have a job. I'm only nineteen," he looked at her still shocked, "Please, tell me this is a joke."

Sydney sighed and shook her head, "No, this is really happening."

I looked down and back up, still not processing the situation. "I'm really going to be a dad?"

Sydney nodded once more. "Yes, and I'm going to be a mom, or I am a mom… I guess." She awkwardly patted her stomach.

I let out a puff of air, a small grin appearing on my face. "I'm going to be a dad." I sat back and stared off into nothing, a lazy smile playing along my lips.

"So that's why you two got hitched so early. I knew it." Fred had a smug grin on his face. He looked at Sam. "Shotgun wedding. You owe me ten bucks."

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes.

I suppressed the urge to yell at my friends for listening on our private conversation. "We got married because we love each other, Fred. No need to be jealous." I stood up and wrapped my arm around Sydney's shoulder.

Fred frowned. "I'm not jealous."

"Don't you have a date with Kairi?"

Fred looked and the clock. "Crap. I'm going to have to call her."

Sam snickered. "I can't wait to hear this."

The boys finally left us alone.

"So what do we do now?" I nervously rubbed the back of my neck.

Sydney was rubbing her temples. "I'm going to go lie down. This migraine is killing me."

I looked at her with a pitying expression on my face. "Come on. I'll help."

How on earth were we going to deal with this?

* * *

We checked in at the hospital and they asked us the questions we expected to be asked. When did your water break? How far apart were the contractions? Blah, blah, blah. I let Sydney answer most of the questions because frankly, I didn't know he answers. I'd been too busy packing up the car and getting over the shock of the situation.

We were given a room right away. Luckily for us, not a lot of people went into labor at four in the morning. The doctor came in to look at Sydney and explain approximately how long it would be before the baby could be born.

"Are you getting an epidural?"

"No." Sydney answered before the doctor had even finished the question. "Sorry, um, no. I'm not getting an epidural."

"Are you sure? It's really the only safe pain reliever I would recommend."

Sydney rapidly shook her head. "It's okay. We've opted out of all that."

"Well, if you change your mind, and most women do, just let one of the nurses know." The doctor left and we were alone.

Sydney sighed and leaned back into the bed. She absentmindedly began to rub her large stomach. She suddenly doubled over and clenched her teeth together. A low moan escaped her mouth.

I jumped up and ran over to her. "Are you okay?"

The contraction subsided and she nodded. "It's fine."

"You sure you don't want that epidural?"

"No. You know I can't." She bit her lip and traced a spot on her neck where her mother used to give her forced injections of a drug called Pluphoria. It had caused Sydney to develop an irrational fear of injections and even give her terrifying nightmares from time to time.

I soothingly massaged her back. "I know. It's okay."

I nervously began tapping my fingers on my knee. Sydney noticed and gave me a concerned smile. "Are _you_ okay?" She nodded at my fingers.

"Oh, um," I pulled my hand in to stop it. "Yeah, totally."

"It's okay to be nervous, Joe." She reached out for my hand. I took it gladly and gave it a loving squeeze.

"I'm not nervous."

She gave me a look showing that she clearly knew I was lying. "Once you hold the baby, you'll realize everything will be okay. You'll feel like you never knew joy before."

"How do you know?" She seemed awfully calm for someone about to have their first child.

She put on that knowing smile again. "I just do. Call it maternal instinct." She pulled my hand closer to place it on her stomach. "Trust me."

I let out an anxious sigh and slowly caressed the baby. How was I supposed to do this? We were so young. I still had a year of college left and any job or internship I could get didn't pay that much. Sydney still had the Draylon card, but only for another few months, and that would only get us so far. I already knew I was going to have make sacrifices to get this to work. I had canceled any lessons I had with my uncle with The Book, not that I had been doing very well anyways. Sam and Fred understood that this also meant we wouldn't be able to hang out as much, but they offered to help in any way that they could. My family had also offered to help us out a lot. I was thankful for all of it, but I knew in the end it all came down to me and Sydney. Would we be able to raise this kid? Would it tear us apart? Could I actually be a good dad?

"So," Sydney spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts, "boy or girl?"

I grinned. Back to this old game.

* * *

"Boy."

"Girl."

"Boy."

"Girl."

I let out a sigh and turned into our parking spot in front of our house. We'd just gotten back from a prenatal appointment. Sydney was a little over twenty weeks old so we had the option of finding out the sex of the baby today, but we decided to wait until it was born to find out. Now we were just arguing about what we thought it was. I wanted a boy, but Sydney kept insisting that it was girl.

"It's a boy."

"It's definitely a girl." She grinned and massaged her baby bump.

"How do you know? Did you look at the screen or do you have a secret deal with the doctor?" I teased her.

Sydney chuckled. "Neither. I just know it's going to be a girl."

"Says who?"

"Says the one who's carrying it."

I sighed and opened the door to our house. Sydney crashed down on the sofa and yawned.

"I think I'm going to take a nap."

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to her. Sydney normally wasn't a very tired person. No matter how late she stayed up, she always woke up early. Yet the pregnancy had taken its toll and she was tired all the time now.

"Can't make it up to our bedroom?"

"Too far." She grabbed a throw pillow and curled up in the corner of the sectional.

I swooped her up into my arms before she could get too comfortable.

She laughed in response. "A little uncomfortable, but I guess I could sleep here."

I rolled my eyes as I carried her upstairs to the master bedroom. "Who said I was going to let you sleep?"

"It's not me, it's our daughter. She's the one who's tired all the time. She's very demanding about getting her sleep. I have no choice but to obey."

"I think you mean our son?" I gently set her down on our enormous and extremely comfortable bed. She wrapped herself up in the deep red satin sheets. I laid down next to her and kissed her forehead gently.

"How about we make this interesting?" She spoke with a smirk on her face.

"I'm listening." I rolled over to her and leaned down, showing off what I hoped was a sexy grin.

She giggled and playfully pushed me away. "That's not what I meant. What if we made a little bet?"

"What's the bet?"

"Whichever one of us is wrong about the gender of the baby, has to handle all late night cries for the first month."

"Deal."

* * *

"I'm just saying, she couldn't have gone into labor at four in the afternoon instead of four in the morning?" Fred yawned and slumped down in his chair.

I rolled my eyes. "We didn't exactly have a choice. I told you that you didn't need to come here yet. The doctor said that it would still be a while."

"And risk missing the birth of my best friend's first kid? No way." He patted me on the shoulder. "I'm here for you, man. I got your back."

"Thanks."

Our friends and my family had slowly been coming in and we were all gathered in the lobby. The room Sydney was in was fairly small so only a few of us could go in at a time. Sydney suggested I go out and get some air and try to distract myself with my friends for a little bit. I'll admit, I needed to unwind. I still felt unprepared for what was about to happen.

Kairi came bouncing out of the room Sydney was in with Cade trailing along calmly behind her. Kairi ran up to me and started talking so fast, I almost couldn't keep up. "Oh my gosh! This is so exciting! You and Sydney are about to become parents! I just know your baby is going to be the cutest thing in the world. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl! Either way it's going to be amazing! You have to be so excited, right? Like, I know you weren't exactly planning for this and you have absolutely no experience being a father. And you also still have to finish school and get a good job. Wow, how are you going to do all this?"

"Um, Kairi? Why don't we go grab something from the cafeteria?" Cade kindly tried to pull Kairi away.

"Okay. I'm so happy for you!" Kairi waved as she and Cade walked away.

I sighed slumped down into my seat. I rubbed my temples. Kairi meant well, but her little spiel had only left me feeling worse.

"It'll all work out, Joe. You're family offered to help, right?" Sam looked at me with concern.

I groaned. "Yeah, but they can't do everything." I hung my head in hands. "I'm in way over my head."

"Relax. You're over-thinking it. Try focusing on the positive side. You're about to have a little you by your side. That's pretty cool, right?"

I looked at Fred. "I guess."

"What are you guys naming it anyway?"

"Depends on if it's a boy or a girl, and we're not telling anyone until the baby is here."

"Joe?"

I looked up to see who had spoken. My mom and dad walked out of the room. I thought that they seemed a little too happy for people who were about become very young grandparents.

"Sydney was asking for you."

"Okay. Thanks." I slowly got up and started for the room.

My mom stopped me. "It won't be as bad as you think it will. Trust me."

I did my best to smile for her. "Thanks."

When I walked into the room, Anna and Skyler were taking their turn with Sydney.

"Just try not to destroy our reputation."

"With you gone, it'll probably improve."

I felt awkward interrupting Sydney and Skyler's teasing banter, not that I wasn't used to it. This was how they talked to each other all the time.

"Hey. You feeling okay? My mom said you wanted me?" I sat down on the bed next to her and laced my arm over her shoulders.

"I'm fine. The doctor said it wouldn't be too long, so I thought you better be here."

"And that's our cue to leave." Skyler tried to guide Anna out of the room.

"But I thought you were going to help deliver, Sky?"

Skyler stuck his tongue out in disgust. "No thanks. I don't need to know _that _much about you."

Anna giggled and rolled her eyes at them. "I cannot wait to be an aunt. I am going to spoil that kid rotten," she said as they walked out of the room.

"You ready?" Sydney looked at me. She was smiling and seemed completely at ease.

"How are you so calm? This is a scary situation to be in. We're young and we don't know anything about raising a child."

"Joe," she placed her hand on my cheek, "of course this is scary, but it's also exciting and wonderful. We are about to have a beautiful child and become a family. We may not know much, but no one does. Every first time parent has their fears, but they get through it. We will too. We can do this."

Her words soothed my fears. "I'm sorry I have been so weird tonight. I need to focus on what's important and that's making sure you and this baby are happy and healthy." I kissed her and felt her smile into the kiss.

"We'll be okay. I promise."

"I just hope little Aiden gets here soon."

Sydney shook her head. "You're still holding out for it to be a boy?"

"Well, yeah, I'm not going to be the one to take care of all the late night cries for a month."

"We'll see about that."

* * *

"We're not naming it Adrian." Sydney flipped through the pages of the baby name book.

"Why not?" I crossed my arms. "It's a nice name."

"It literally means dark. I'm not naming my child dark."

"It's my kid too."

"But I'm the one who's been carrying it around for the past eight months."

I leaned back into the sofa. "Then how about Jace?"

"Hmm… no."

I sat up and looked over at her. "What's wrong with that?"

"It sounds like something you'd name a dog, not a person."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay then, what do you suggest?"

"I like Nathan, or maybe Alex."

"There's a million Nathans and Alexs out there."

Sydney sighed. "Why is this so hard?" She flipped to a random page in the book and placed her finger down on a random name. She smiled.

"What is it?"

"Aiden. I like it."

"Aiden." I let it roll of my tongue and thought about it for a moment. "Not bad. But what about a middle name?"

"Drake? Aiden Drake. It rolls right off the tongue."

"Aiden Drake." It did have a nice ring to it. I placed my hand on Sydney's protruding stomach. "What do you think little guy?"

I felt the baby kick underneath my hand and grinned. It was always a good feeling.

"I think he likes it." I pulled my hand away.

"Or _she_ is trying to tell you she's a girl and that's not going to work for her." Sydney soothingly massaged her tummy.

"Well, it's not going to be a girl, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to pick out a name for a girl. I like Ava."

Sydney shook her head. "I already have the perfect name. I talked to the baby last night and she seemed to love it." She continued to rub her stomach.

"And what is this perfect name?"

* * *

"Jade Elizabeth Arthur."

Sydney cooed at her softly. Even though I could tell she was exhausted and probably still in pain, she looked so happy to be holding Jade for the first time.

Sydney looked up at me and smiled. She carefully held Jade out for me to take. I took a deep breath. Here we go.

I softly caressed her face as I held her close to my chest. Sydney was right. The moment I touched her, I knew I loved her and would do anything for her. I'd never been this happy in my life.

She was so beautiful. I almost couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding in my chest from fear and joy. She stared back up at me with the most amazing eyes I'd ever seen. They were a light green, fitting given her name, but there were flecks of blue mixed in here and there. Everything about my daughter seemed so perfect and I couldn't wait to see what the future held for us. She had little wisps of light brown hair on top of her small, dark-skinned head.

"Hello, Jade." I had the urge to show her everything in the world. All the wonderful sights and beautiful moments. At the same time, I wanted her all to myself. I knew it was going to be hard just to set her down or hand her back to Sydney, who already looked like she missed having her in her arms.

"Ready to take on every late night cry for a month?" She smirked at me. I saw the exhaustion in her eyes, and yet she still managed to be a tease.

"I can't wait for it."

* * *

**A/N - I probably should have divided this into two chapters given it's length, but oh well. I was experimenting with a present time to flashback writing style. So yeah, welcome little Jade to the world! If you enjoyed a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Permission

**Permission**

Sydney stopped the music. "What's up with you? You've never been this off before."

"I'm not off. What are you talking about?" Skyler reached to turn the music back on.

Sydney stopped him. "You're fouette turns are sloppy and you can't even do a double today. Any other day I could ask you to do ten in a row and you'd be fine. Rehearsals for _Chicago_ start next week and you know we're going to have to teach the choreography on day one."

Skyler ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing's wrong with me. Let's just keep going."

Sydney shook her head. "I know you better than that, Sky. What's up?"

"I said I'm fine. Come on, let's continue. Or are you just stopping because you know I'm doing better than you?"

Sydney crossed her arms. "You're cockiness is at like a ten, and I need it at like a two."

"Your sass is at a ten today too."

Sydney glared at him. "What is with you?"

Skyler bit his lip and walked over to his bag. He reached and held something behind his back. "I need your help."

"With the attitude you're having right now? I don't think so."

Skyler sighed. "Please, Syd. I can't do this without you."

Sydney rolled her eyes and dropped her arms. "What is it?"

"I'm going to ask Anna to marry me." He held out a small black box.

Sydney smiled. "_Oh_. That explains it. Well, that's great and all Sky, but why do you need my help? I really doubt Anna will say no to you."

"I'm not worried about _her_ saying no."

"Then what-" Realization spread across Sydney's face. "You want to ask Joe for permission first, don't you?"

"Kind of."

Sydney burst out laughing. "Good luck with that."

"That's why I need your help. I need you to talk to him for me and see if you can soften him up a little bit."

Sydney continued to laugh. "What makes you think I can convince Joe to let you marry his baby sister? You know how he is. Frankly, I'm worried for Jade when she grows up and starts dating."

"Please, Syd! I need this. I love Anna and I want to be with her and marry her more than anything. I see how happy you are with Joe and Jade, and I want that too. I just feel like I need Joe's approval first though."

"Don't you think you're a little young?"

"We're older than you and Joe when you two got married."

"You know our situation was different."

"Not really. I mean, it would have been if Joe knew the truth. Yet you've still kept it a secret from him for all this time."

"I can't tell him at this point."

"You keep telling yourself that."

Sydney sighed. "You're marrying her out of love, right? She's not pregnant or anything is she?"

"No, of course not! _Some_ of us have self-restraint," Skyler teased her.

Sydney tapped her chin. "I don't know. It's an awfully big request and I'm not so sure I like your tone."

Skyler frowned. "Please, Syd? I really, _really_ want this."

Sydney smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

As if on cue, Jade came skipping into their studio with Joe trying to catch up with her.

"Mommy!" Jade latched onto Sydney's legs. "Daddy took me to the zoo and we saw animals and there were these pengy-, um, peng-, these birds and they went like this!" Jade held her arms out to the side and waddled around the floor like a penguin.

Sydney laughed and scooped Jade up into her arms. "Did they now?"

Jade giggled. "Uh huh. I wanna go again! More animals!" Jade clapped her hands joyously. Jade paused and sniffed the air. "Ew. Mommy stinky." She tried to push herself away from Sydney.

Sydney frowned. "Got to love the honesty of four-year-olds." She set Jade back on the floor. Jade proceeded to run around the dance floor with her penguin impersonation.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so stinky it wouldn't be a problem." Skyler crossed his arms.

"Like you smell like a bed of roses right now." Sydney reached for a small towel to wipe off her sweaty forehead.

"I think you smell wonderful." Joe kissed Sydney and slipped his arm around her waist.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Compared to animals you've been around all day, I'm sure I do."

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Jade pouted her lip and rubbed her belly. "I want ice cream!"

"You know the rules. You get ice cream after dinner. How about a make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for now?"

Jade gave Sydney her best puppy dog eyes. "_Please_?"

Sydney put her hands on her hips. "No, Jade."

Jade crossed her arms and pouted. "Fine."

"How about I go make her some lunch and you stay here and talk to Joe?" Skyler's eye pleaded with Sydney.

"Okay, but make sure she doesn't trick you into giving her ice cream or something."

Skyler led Jade down stairs to the kitchen. Sydney walked over to the wall and slid down to the floor.

"Man, my feet are killing me today." She began to rub her foot.

"Talk to me about what?" Joe followed her over to the wall.

"Well, I'd love to tell you, but my feet here are _really_ sore and could use some attention. I don't know if I could go on like this." She feigned slumping over and pretended to be dying.

Joe rolled his eyes. He sat down in front of Sydney and grab one of her feet. He gently began to massage it. "So what is it you need to talk to me about?"

"I want you to think before you say anything."

"Okay?"

"Skyler wants to ask Anna to marry him."

"No."

"Joe, I said to think before you answered me."

"I don't need to. They're too young and Anna doesn't even need to be thinking about getting married."

"They're older than we were."

"That doesn't count."

Sydney sighed. "Joe, I know you love Anna and you want what's best for her, but Sky is just that. You see how happy they are together. They love each other just as much as you and I do. Think about how happy they would be if they got married."

"I can't let my little sister get married. If they get married they'll go on a honeymoon and I definitely don't want that."

"Joe, Skyler is going to ask Anna to marry him no matter what. You know Anna will say yes. He just wants your permission before he does it."

Joe dropped Sydney's foot. "Why do they even want to get married? Is Anna pregnant?" Joe looked like he was ready to beat Skyler.

"No, no. Calm down. They want to get married because they love each other and marriage is the next step in their relationship."

Joe ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know."

"Skyler has never done anything to hurt Anna. Have you ever seen Anna happier than when she is with Skyler?" Sydney placed her hands on Joe's face to draw his attention to her.

Joe thought about it for second. "I guess not."

"All I'm asking is that you be fair and when Skyler comes back to ask you for permission to marry Anna, you say yes. There is nothing wrong with them getting married."

"Fine. But I will be giving him a little talk along with it."

"I never said you couldn't." Sydney smiled and kissed Joe on the cheek. "Thank you. Now, I believe you forgot about my other foot?" She held up her foot in Joe's face. He rolled his eyes again and began to massage her other foot.

Jade and Skyler soon came back upstairs. Each happily munching on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"I wanna foot rub too, daddy!" Jade ran over to Sydney and Joe. She plopped down next to Sydney and raised her feet in the air. She wiggled her toes and giggled.

"Are you sure about that?" Joe grabbed her feet and began tickling her.

Jade squealed and tried to get away, but she was giggling too hard.

Sydney grinned and laughed at the two of them. She noticed Skyler awkwardly rocking back and forth behind them. "Hey, Jade, how about you and I go downstairs? I could read you some of your favourite book."

Jade looked up from her fit of giggles. "Okay." She bounced up and ran into Sydney's arms.

Sydney gave Joe one final look before leaving. "_Be nice_."

"So, um," Skyler did his best to be his confident self, but he was failing. "I'm sure Syd already told you."

"Yes." Joe stood up and crossed his arms. He puffed out his chest trying to be as intimidating as possible.

Skyler squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I want to marry Anna. I love her more than anything in this world. I know you love her too, and I think it's great that you're such a good big brother to her. I understand I'm not your favourite person and that my relationship with Anna makes you uncomfortable, but we've been together for years now and I've never done anything to hurt her or put her danger, and I never will. I am going to ask Anna to marry me no matter what you say, but I think it will be a lot better for everyone if you're okay with it. So Joe, can I have permission to marry your sister?"

Joe remained silent while staring down Skyler, silently judging him.

"Yes."

Skyler perked up. "Really? That means so much, you have no idea."

"But," Joe stepped forward into Skyler's face, who shrunk away, "if you do anything to harm Anna or so much as draw a single tear from her eye, I will step in and you do _not_ want that. You are to give Anna the upmost respect and treat her like a lady. If I hear one complaint from her, you're gone."

"Of course!" Skyler shook off the feeling of fear that came over him. "Thank you so much. I promise you won't regret this." He held his hand out for Joe to shake. When Joe didn't take it, he awkwardly dropped it by his side. "I'll just be going then."

He and Joe silently went downstairs to the living room. Sydney was sitting on the sofa with Jade curled up in her lap. Sydney held a purple book in her hands with pictures of animals sprawled out on the cover.

"How'd it go?" Sydney paused from reading to Jade to look up at Skyler.

"Great. I got to go." Skyler walked to the door.

"But we still have to choreo-" Sydney sighed as Skyler left the house without looking back. She turned to Joe. "I take that to mean you said yes?"

"I think I made a mistake." Joe leaned forward as if he was going to follow Skyler out to tell him that he changed his mind.

"Joe, don't. It'll be okay."

"_Mommy, book_." Jade whined and tugged on Sydney's arm.

"I know, sweetie. One second."

Joe walked over and sat down next to them. "I hope you're right."

* * *

"Boo." Skyler popped his head down in front of Anna.

She feigned being scared. "Oh no! What ever will I do? Where's my knight in shining armor when I need him?

"I locked him up. He's currently being tortured by an endless loop of 'Wheels on the Bus'."

"Oh well. It was only a matter of time." She looked Skyler up and down. "I guess you'll just have to be my new boyfriend."

"I'd be honored." He leaned in to give her a deep kiss.

Anna laughed as they broke apart. "I thought you and Sydney were working all day today. Don't you have to teach choreography next week?"

"I needed to leave early. After all, I have a date tonight."

"You do?" Anna raised an eyebrow at him.

"Mhm, but don't tell my girlfriend. It's a surprise." Skyler winked at her.

Anna grinned. "You're secret's safe with me."

"I knew I could trust you."

"So when is this date?"

"Now actually."

"Now?" Anna got up from the chair she was sitting in. "A little extra warning wouldn't have hurt, you know."

"It's part of the fun."

"Where are we even going? I'm going to have to get ready." Anna quickly adjusted her hair as she headed towards the bathroom.

"No need. It's a private date."

"Private?"

Skyler nodded. "I have something extra special planned for us tonight."

"Oh?"

"Why don't I just show you?"

* * *

"Holy…" Anna was at a loss for words.

"The perks of living in a penthouse, exclusive rooftop access. Syd and I used to rehearse up here. I always thought that with a little decorating, it could look magical."

Magical didn't even begin to describe it. Anna felt like see had just stepped into a mystical forest. She definitely didn't feel like they were standing on top of a building in the middle of Manhattan. Trees lined the edge of the roof. Lights were strung tree to tree and emitted a soft golden glow. Stars weren't something you saw a lot of in New York with all the bright city lights, but all the string lights created the effect of staring up into a starry night sky.

In the middle of the roof a sheer canopy was set up surrounded by white candles. Pillows were placed inside the canopy and despite the fact that the roof's floor was made of hard wood, it looked like the coziest place in the world.

"Skyler, this is astounding. How did you do all this?" Anna stared up at him with wonder in her eyes.

He shrugged. "I want tonight to be special. I'm glad you like it." He loved seeing her this elated.

"I love it. It's so different from anything else we've ever done. But what's so special about tonight?" She stared at him with a perplexed look on her face.

"You'll see." He led her over to the pillows. They sat down and snuggled up to each other.

"It's so beautiful." The surrounding canopy put them in their own private world, complete with their own stars and night sky to gaze into.

"Just like you."

Anna blushed. "So why all this? I have to know." She turned to sit on her knees and stare into Skyler's eyes.

"Well," he paused to reach for something in his pocket, "I love you, Anna. I love you more than anything else in this entire universe." He grabbed her hand. "I want the world to know it. I want to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep next to you every night." He pulled out a small black box and opened it to reveal a dazzling diamond ring. He heard Anna gasp. "Anna Arthur, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" She wrapped Skyler up in a tight hug and showered him with kisses.

He laughed as he slipped the ring on her finger. "I'm so thrilled that you said yes."

"Why wouldn't I? I love you." She pulled him to give him a lingering kiss.

"I know, but I had a crazy day. I wanted to get Joe's permission before I married you."

"You asked my brother for permission to marry me?" Anna stopped in thought. "And he said yes?"

Skyler nodded. "I'm still surprised too. Syd kind of helped me out a little though."

"Tell her I said thank you." Anna looked down at the ring on her finger. She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe that just happened."

"The night's not over yet. I'd hate to have this whole set up go to waste."

Anna giggled. "It's beautiful, really. I don't think I could ever forget this night. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N - I really like their silly/goofy relationship. It was fun to write. :) One more chapter in here left before I start posting _Sour Revenge_! If you liked, a review and a favorite would be very much loved! Thanks for reading!**


	9. Round Two

**Round Two**

"How come I don't have a baby sister?" Jade asked nonchalantly as she was getting tucked in by Sydney.

"Um…" Sydney looked over her shoulder at Joe. They exchange quizzical looks. "Why would you ask that, sweetheart?"

"Missy was talking about her baby sister. She says it's like a fun toy."

"Having a baby sister is a lot more than that, Jade." Joe walked over to her bed. "It's a big responsibility. Not to mention, a lot of work for mommy and me."

Sydney nodded. "Besides, you just had a birthday. You have plenty of toys now anyway. You don't need a baby sister."

"But I want one. I'd be good with her. I promise!" Jade pleaded and put on her best doe-eyed look. "_Please_?"

"Maybe in a few years, Jade." Sydney bent down to kiss her forehead. "Goodnight."

Jade snuggled down into her sheets. "Nighty night."

Sydney and Joe turned off her bedroom light and walked towards their own bedroom down the hall.

"Where did that come from?" Sydney turned to Joe. "She wants a sister now?"

Joe grinned and kissed her on the lips. "We could you know."

"Could what? Have another kid? Joe, no. We can't just have another kid like that."

"Why not?"

Sydney sat down on their bed. "Because I'm incredibly busy at the moment. Tech week starts tomorrow and opening night is in two weeks. Plus, Anna wants me to help her pick stuff out for the wedding. I do not have time to deal with another child. I love Jade, but she's enough for now."

Joe laughed and sat down next to her. "Well, technically you wouldn't have to deal with another kid for nine months."

"You're right. I'd have to deal with pregnancy symptoms. Not exactly something I want to go through with at the moment." She laid back and stretched out on the bed. "If you really want have another kid, we can try in a few years."

"Years? Jade will already be four years older than her brother."

"Brother?" Sydney lifted her head. "Is this about you wanting another kid, or you wanting a son?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"A little bit of both. I love Jade, but another guy in the house would be nice." He laid down next to her on the bed and ran a hand through her soft hair. "Come on. Let's have another kid. It'll be so much easier. I'm out of college and I actually have a job now."

"But we no longer have an unlimited supply of money."

"We have enough money to have another baby."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Not now, okay? We can talk about this in a month and maybe we can try to have a kid then."

"In a month you'll be busy doing seven shows a week plus pick-up rehearsals. And the month after that, and the month after that. You're never not busy with a show. When it's off season all you do is choreograph shows for the next season. If being busy is your only excuse, we'll never have another child."

Sydney sighed. "I know. I just have a lot on my plate being a choreographer and a swing for _Chicago_. It's not that I wouldn't mind having another kid, it was just so hard with Jade and managing all the things I have to do. I'm not sure I can do that again."

"But I'm out of school now. I can help out a lot more than I could with Jade. It wouldn't be all on you this time." Joe did his best impersonation of Jade's doe-eyes. "_Please_?"

Sydney laughed. "Sorry, Joe. Not now. We can talk about it again after the show kicks off and I'm less busy during the day."

"Fine." Joe kissed her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Sydney giggled and pulled away. "Did you hear me? I said in a month."

"Doesn't mean we still can't have some fun." Joe winked at her and rolled her over for another kiss.

* * *

"Oh, look, Jade! Daddy's home! He's going to play with you now and make the shiny disappear." Sydney hurriedly ran over to Joe, who had just walked through the door, and pulled him over to Jade.

"But mommy, I wanna see more spin-spins!"

"Mommy is going to be sick-sick if she does any more spin-spins." Sydney collapsed onto the couch.

"Hey Jade, what's that behind your ear?" Joe distracted her by doing his classic quarter trick.

Jade rubbed her ears and giggled. She happily clapped her hands and asked for more. Joe picked her up and sat down next to Sydney on the couch.

"I'm never choreographing a pirouette into a dance ever again," Sydney moaned.

Joe chuckled as he played with the quarter for Jade. "But you're so good at the spin-spins."

"Spin-spins!" Jade agreed and giggled some more.

"Just hearing it makes me sick."

Joe laughed some more. "You'll be fine and you know it."

"No, I really think I'm going to be sick." Sydney sat up and held a hand over her mouth.

"Are you-" Before Joe could even finish his question, Sydney had bolted off to the bathroom.

Jade pouted. "Where is mommy?"

"She'll be okay. Why don't you be good and play with toys for a minute while daddy goes to check on her, okay?"

Jade still appeared upset. "Okay."

Joe carefully set her down within eyesight of the bathroom door. He quickly went to check on Sydney.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Sydney was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall across from the toilet. "Does it look like I'm okay?" She hung her head between her knees. "I think I'm going to go lie down."

Joe helped her up and walked her over to their bedroom. "Anything I can do? Do you want me to make a doctor's appointment?"

"Actually-"

"Mommy?" Jade stood in their doorway nervously tugging on her brown hair. She cautiously walked over to Sydney and crawled onto her lap. "I'm sorry. Spin-spins are bad for mommy."

Sydney smiled and brushed Jade's hair away from her face. "It's not your fault, sweetie. Mommy is sick for a different reason."

"She is?" Joe tilted his head in confusion.

Sydney nodded towards the bathroom attached to their room. "Go see for yourself."

As Joe was walking towards the bathroom he heard Sydney tell Jade it was time for a nap. Jade protested like usual, but went with Sydney anyway.

Joe walked into the bathroom to see what Sydney was referring to. At first glance, he saw nothing. He looked closer and noticed something sitting on the counter next to the sink.

_Oh_.

"Congratulations," a voice that was dripping with sarcasm spoke. Joe turned over his shoulder to see Sydney standing behind him leaning against the door-frame. "You get your wish. Looks like we're having another baby."

Joe held back his smile. He knew he shouldn't be this elated, especially since Sydney was probably distressed about it, but he couldn't help but feel a little joy bounce around inside his chest.

He looked back at the pregnancy test laying on the counter. It had a bright pink plus sign, which could only mean one thing: Sydney was pregnant again.

* * *

"So Jade, remember how you said you wanted a baby sister?"

Sydney and Joe sat on either side of Jade on her bed. They'd been debating on how long to wait to tell her about the baby and how exactly to do it.

"I don't want one." Jade continued to flip through the pages of a large picture book sitting in front of her.

Joe and Sydney exchanged concerned glances. "Why don't you want anymore? You were so determined to have one before."

"Missy says her sister took her parents. Now they don't play anymore." Jade stared up at her parents. "I'm not sharing you with a stupid sister."

"Well, sweetie, mommy and daddy may have already put an order in with the stork for a new baby."

"And we can't cancel it."

"But I don't want one anymore." Jade's eyes widened. "Can't we give it to somebody else?"

"Not exactly."

"But, but, you won't love me if there's another baby." Tears welled up in Jade's soft green eyes.

"No, no, sweetheart." Sydney picked Jade up and held her close. "We will always love you. Another baby won't change that."

"But I'm your baby."

They smiled down at her. "You will always be our special little girl, but every little girl has to grow up sometime. You'll be able to teach your little sibling everything you know, and they'll look up to you. You have to protect and help them though. That's part of the responsibility of being a big sister."

Jade sniffled. "You won't stop loving me?"

"Never. We'll just have a new baby to love just as much, and you'll love your brother or sister too."

"Brother?" Jade stuck her tongue out. "No boys. Boys are weird."

Joe frowned. "What about me?"

Jade giggled at him. "You're the weirdest one."

"Boys aren't all that bad. You might really enjoy having a brother," Joe tried to reason with her.

Jade shook her head. "No boys. And only one baby. I'm not sharing you any more than that."

Sydney kissed Jade on her forehead. "We'll see what the stork brings us."

* * *

**A/N - So this is the last chapter before_ Sour Revenge_, which takes place a couple months after this. Hopefully, the first chapter for that will be up this week. This story will continue to be updated alongside _Sour Revenge_ with request stories and random stuff. The other chapters in here after this probably won't be chronological. For instance, a few might take place when the trio is in high school or something like that.**

**If you enjoyed a review and a favourite would be very much loved! Follow me for more! Thanks for reading!**


	10. The Break-Up

**Writer25's Challenge: The Break-Up**

"You what?"

"Don't make me repeat it."

"You…" Joe had to physically hold himself down by gripping onto the kitchen counter. "When?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Is that why you came home so late? You told me it was because your rehearsal ran longer than you expected."

Sydney bit her lip.

"Answer me!" Joe shouted.

"Joe, please. Jade is-"

"Oh, now you think about Jade? She didn't cross your mind at all yesterday? Our marriage – four years – didn't cross you mind? What the hell were you thinking about then?"

"Nothing. I mean, I-"

"_Get out_."

"What?"

"You heard me. I want you out of this house. Now." Joe pointed towards the door for emphasis.

"This is _my_ house. I bought it. You can't just-"

"Well I am! I can't look at you right now let alone be in the same house as you."

"But Jade-"

"I don't want you around her either."

Sydney glared at him. "You can't take my daughter away from me because of some mistake I made."

"_Some_ mistake?" Joe clenched his teeth and balled up his fists. He could feel his nails digging into his palms, but he didn't care. "This isn't just some mistake. For the love of God, you cheated on me!"

"Joe, I'm sorry. We can get through this. I can find a marriage counselor and-"

"You're sorry? What's sorry supposed to fix? I told you to leave, now do it before I wake up Jade and take her with me somewhere else."

"Would you please let me explain?"

"Explain what? I don't want to know the details! It happened and there's no way to go back now. For the last time, get out of this house!" Joe stomped to the front door and yanked it open. "Out. Now."

Tears welled up in Sydney's eyes. "Joe, please…"

Joe fought the urge to fall apart and cry with her. "I said, out." He pointed outside.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"I don't know and I don't care. You're not my wife anymore."

Sydney looked out the door and back at Joe. "You don't have to do this."

"You didn't have to sleep with another man either, but you did! Get out before I physically have to remove you."

"You have a son." Sydney blurted out.

"Don't make up lies to try to get me to change my mind. It won't work." Joe glared at her in disgust.

"I'm not lying, I swear! His name is JJ and he's seven years old. I was pregnant with him back when I was still at Draylon. I never told you because-"

"I'm tired of this." Joe pushed his way past her and started up the stairs.

"Joe, no! Wait!" Sydney followed him up. "Please, don't take her from me. You and Jade are all I have!" She grabbed onto his arm in an attempt to stop him.

Joe shook her off. "What about your _friend_?"

"It meant nothing! I swear! It was a moment of weakness and we both just got so caught up in it all."

Joe cringed. "I said I didn't want to hear about it." He paused outside of Jade's bedroom door. "I will tell you one final time, get out of this house or I'm taking Jade somewhere else until you pack up and leave."

Sydney froze. She stared at Jade's door, tears streaming down her face. "Can I at least say goodbye?"

"No."

The word hit her like a slap across the face. "But I- I-" Sydney choked back sobs.

Joe looked away, not wanting to pity her. It was cruel to let her cry like this, but he didn't care. She deserved it. "You brought this on yourself."

"I know." She clenched and unclenched her fists. "I just wish…"

"So do I." Joe gave her a long, cold stare. "Are you leaving or not?"

"I'll go." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "What are you going to tell Jade when she wakes up and I'm not here?"

"That her mother had to go away for a little bit. She was clearly not feeling well in the head. And that sometimes parents don't always stay together forever."

"Tell her that I love her."

"You're not in a position to tell me what to do."

Sydney looked up at him and pleaded, "It's my final request. Promise me that Jade will not learn the truth. I didn't do this out of spite. I still love her… and you."

Joe's mouth was set in a hard line. "Is that all?"

Sydney held back more tears. "Yes."

"Then get out."

* * *

**A/N - so this was a writing challenge given to me by Writer25 a while ago where one of my main couples has a fight and breaks up. I decided to have some fun with it and make it extra nasty. This is obviously not canon to my series however, so just enjoy it for what it is, a random angry one-shot. Sorry it's a little on the short side, but I enjoyed writing it.**

**If you enjoyed, a favourite would be very much loved! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this by leaving a lovely review/critique! Follow me for more! Thanks for reading!**

**BTW - if you want to issue me a challenge/request, they are still OPEN so feel free to do it! More info on my profile.**


	11. Date Night

**Hair-Metal-Angel's Request: Date Night**

Joe finished styling his hair and studied himself in the mirror. "Looking good as always." He flashed himself a dazzling smile.

The doorbell rang and Joe took his time to answer it. He knew any girl world gladly wait for him.

He opened the door and leaned against the frame. "Hello, Tally"

He looked her up and down. She looked stunning as always. Not that Joe expected anything less. Of course, any girl would look their best for a date with him.

"Hey, Joe." Tally's wide gold eyes sparkled as she stared up at him. "May I come in?"

"Sure." Joe stepped aside and took this opportunity to study her more.

Her waist-long black hair swayed as she walked past him and into his house. She wore it down with a gold headband in it that matched her eyes. Her tan skin glowed underneath the gold and white striped blouse she was wearing.

"So where are we going?" Tally smiled at him.

"The movies. Maybe we'll grab some pizza beforehand."

Tally tilted her head. "The movies? You finally get to go on a date with me, and you just want to go to the movies?"

Joe nodded and winked at her. "Don't worry. You're going to love it. I'll make sure of it. It's this new action movie that's supposed to be great." He threw his arm around her shoulders. "I've been looking forward to this. I'm not going to mess it up that easily."

He leaned in for a kiss, thinking she'd gladly accept.

Tally pushed him away. "What do you think you're doing? She crossed her arms stepped away.

"I just thought-"

"The date hasn't even started yet. Maybe if it's good, I'll let you have a kiss at the end."

"Fine," Joe pouted. "Let's get going. I'm starving."

He put his arm back around her and led her out the door.

* * *

The waitress came to take their orders.

Joe puffed out of his chest. "Hello, cutie."

The waitress blushed. "Hello, sir. What would you like to eat?"

"One large pepperoni, please." He winked at her. "Extra sauce if you would be so kind."

"Of course." The waitress giggled as she walked away.

Tally frowned. "Cutie?"

Joe shrugged. "What? Flirting with the waitresses is fun. They usually give you discounts and stuff. Don't worry, she's not as cute as you are."

"Okay." Tally uncertainly took a sip of her drink. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You." Joe leaned forward and gave her a flirty grin.

Tally smirked. "What about me?"

"Everything. What's it like being so pretty?" He threw her a wink.

"Well, I-"

"Hey, Joe!" A pair of flirtatious voices floated over to them from across the room. Two girls walked up to them. They were both gorgeous, something Joe immediately noticed.

"Hey, you two. How's it going?" Joe gave them each his full attention.

"Well, we were wanting to get some pizza, but every booth and table in here is full," they pouted. "Can we sit with you?" They amorously pushed their chests out and played with their hair. They pleaded to Joe with wide eyes.

Tally was about to point out that there were in fact several empty booths to sit at, but before she could even open her mouth, Joe told them he'd love it if they joined him.

Tally huffed. She crossed her arms and glared at the intruders.

Joe shifted so that he could have a girl on each side of him. The girl on his left had long blonde hair with bangs that framed the right side of her face. She batted her long lashes over her bright blue eyes. She ran a tan hand down Joe's arm, letting it rest on his thighs. "Thanks so much."

"Yeah, we were worried we wouldn't going to get any food," the girl on his right added. She had long, wavy brown hair and dark eyes that sparkled as she looked up at Joe. She placed a dark skinned hand on his shoulder. "We really appreciate it."

"Anytime ladies. Anything for two beautiful girls like you." He put his arms around their shoulders and they giggled in response, each continuing to toy with their hair.

Tally cleared her throat. "Excuse me?" The two girls blinked at her, as if they just now noticed she was present. "Joe and I are kind of on a date. So if you could both leave, that would be nice."

"A date?" The girls looked to Joe. "Is this true?"

"Well…" Joe scratched the back of his neck. "I don't see any harm in you two joining us for a little bit. Right, Tally?"

"As long as you don't forget which one of us you're on a date with." Tally frowned.

"Don't be upset, Tally. We can all have fun together. You're all lovely ladies."

The girls next to Joe giggled. "Oh, Joe. You're too sweet."

"And cute."

Joe had a smug grin on his face. "You two are amazing, you know that?"

They giggled again. "Not as amazing as you."

"Well, that's impossible," Joe said, his grin growing.

"Maybe this date was a bad idea." Tally got up to leave.

Joe jumped up. "No, stay. We're just having fun, right girls?"

"We can have whatever you want, Joey." The girls leaned into him.

"Really? Well, I'd love to-"

"This was definitely a bad idea." Tally gathered up her stuff. "Last chance, Joe. It's me or them."

"Um…" Joe looked between the girls. "Can't we all just-"

"Goodbye."

"Tally, wait!" But it was too late. She had already left him.

* * *

"And then she left me." Joe sighed an unhappily ate his lunch.

Fred and Sam burst out laughing.

"What? It's not funny!" Joe frowned and crossed his arms.

"Yes, it is."

"How did you not see that coming?" They continued to laugh.

"I thought she'd be cool with it. It's not like I was making out with them or anything." Joe looked around to see if Tally was going to join them. He saw her sitting with a group of girls across the room. Guess that's a no then, he thought.

"You might as well have been. You're too flirty for your own good."

"Yeah, you're lucky all Tally did was leave. One of these days a girl to going to smack you for your cockiness."

Joe grumbled, "I am not cocky." He returned to eating his lunch with a pout on his face while Sam and Fred continued to laugh at him.

* * *

**A/N - this was a request given to me by Hair-Metal-Angel where her OC, Tally, goes on a date with a Joe, but he loses her due to his overly flirty/cocky behavior. If you enjoyed a favourite would be very much loved! Let me know what you thought with a review/critique! Follow me for more! Thanks for reading!**

**Requests and challenges are still OPEN if you're interested! See my profile for more info!**


	12. Twitterpated in Little Italy

**Twitterpated in Little Italy**

Fred hummed to himself as he walked to pick up Kairi for their date. He had a surprise planned for her that he hoped she would love. It could be kind of intimidating to date someone like Kairi. She was so into love and romance, and Fred was always worried that he'd do something that wasn't romantic enough and Kairi would get depressed and leave him.

They'd only officially been dating for a month, but they'd been going on adventures with each other for years. Fred mentally chastised himself for not asking her out sooner.

He jaunted up the steps to the apartment Kairi shared with Cade and her sisters. Fred hoped Kairi would answer the door. He didn't feel like dealing with Cade's older sister Adrienne. She had a very stuck-up feel to her and she always made Fred feel stupid. At least when Cade teased him it was always friendly.

When the door opened, Fred was greeted with a frowning red-head.

"Nice to see you too, Cade." Fred rolled his eyes.

Cade sighed. "I was hoping you were Sam. I'm assuming you're here for Kairi?"

Fred nodded and stepped into the apartment. It wasn't a bad size, but when you had four girls living in it, it felt a little cramped. "Why would I be Sam?"

"We're going to the zoo today. They opened up a new snow leopard exhibit. They've found in recent studies that-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Fred cut her off before she could go off on one of her nerd tangents. Cade could talk as much as Kairi when it came to science. "Is Kairi here?"

Cade frowned. "She's doing her hair. I'm sure she'll be out soon."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kairi bounced down the hall into the living room. Her eyes lit up when she saw Fred. "Hey, baby!"

Fred grinned and wrapped her in his arms. "Hey, princess. Ready for our date?"

Kairi nodded enthusiastically. "Where are we going?"

Fred winked at her. "You'll see."

* * *

"I know it doesn't compare to the real place, but I thought it was the next best thing." Fred gestured towards the scene before them.

Kairi giggled and clapped her hands. "It's amazing! I didn't even know there was a Little Italy in New York!"

She hurried forward and Fred was forced to run after her to keep up.

Kairi stared up at the colourful buildings in awe. The bricks had been painted various shades of red and yellow. One even had stripes of green, white, and red to look like Italy's flag. People bustled about everywhere. Some browsed through small shops and others sat at intimate tables outside of classic style restaurants.

Fred grinned as he watched Kairi explore the small city. His heart melted at the sight of her smile. "Remind you of home?"

"Sort of. Ischia was never this urban. But this place definitely gives off an Italian vibe. _Molto bella_!"

"What?"

Kairi grabbed his hand. "I love it."

There was a long silence between them. Fred glanced down at Kairi's soft lips. He had an urge to kiss her, but he held back. They'd never kissed before and Fred knew that he had to make their first kiss special. Kairi deserved it. He had an idea, but it would have to wait.

"Come on." Fred gently pulled her down the street. "I made reservations for us at this cool restaurant."

Kairi smiled and happily followed him. Her eyes continued to scan the streets of Little Italy as they headed towards the restaurant.

Fred stopped her in front of a romantic looking maroon building.

"Pellegrino's?" Kairi studied the fancy restaurant. A few two-person tables were set up outside. Soft Italian music flowed out of the open doors. Her mouth watered when the scent of garlic bread and tomatoes filled her nose.

Fred watched her with a grin on his face. "One of the top Italian restaurants in New York." He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her into the building. "Come on, princess. I'm starving."

* * *

Kairi giggled and wiped tomato sauce off of Fred's cheek. "You know the food goes in your mouth, right?"

Fred grinned and let Kairi clean off his face. "It's not my fault you Italians put your sauce on top of your pizza. You know cheese is supposed to go on top, right?"

"Maybe on American pizza." Kairi happily bit into another slice of pizza. "The _original _way does not have cheese."

Fred gazed at Kairi with a small smile on his face. Her straightened hair had started to turn out at the ends and her lip gloss was completely gone after eating so much pizza. And yet, Fred still thought she was the most beautiful girl her knew. He didn't notice that he had been staring at her for a while.

Kairi blinked at him. "Do I have something on my face?" She quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped around her mouth.

Fred shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yeah, actually. Right here." He flirtatiously pinched her cheek.

"Hey!" Kairi laughed and rubbed her cheek. "Thanks, prince."

"Anytime." Fred winked at her. He looked down at his phone to check the time. 7:30. Perfect. He waved the waiter over to get the check and hurriedly paid for the delicious meal. He stood and took Kairi's hand.

"Where are we going now?" She stood to join him.

"It's a surprise. Come on. I'll show you."

* * *

Fred pulled Kairi close on the rooftop and kept his arms wrapped around her. She let out a content sigh and leaned into his chest.

"You are amazing, you know that?" Kairi looked up at him.

Her smile melted his heart. "Anything for my princess."

The sunset slowly settled over the city, casting a golden glow on all the buildings. The city lights slowly begin to flick on. Starry nights weren't something you got a lot of in the big city, but you did get some amazing sunsets. The sun fell past the tall skyscrapers. The light rays shone through the spaces between the buildings creating a heavenly spotlight on the lower buildings that surrounded them, including the one Fred and Kairi were currently cuddling on.

"So you really enjoyed today?" Fred tried to keep his voice steady. He didn't want Kairi to know how nervous he was.

Kairi nodded zealously. "It was perfect! Little Italy is so cool, even if it's not like my home. The food was great and this sunset is so beautiful that I might die again."

Fred chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "Please, don't. I prefer my princesses to be alive."

Kairi giggled and swiveled her head to stare up into his eyes.

Fred swallowed. Kairi's eyes were like melted chocolate. They were always so bright. Fred loved how she could find the goodness and happiness in any situation. She saw the world as this beautiful place where you could find magic and adventure anywhere if you looked hard enough.

Fred closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her. Kairi made a squeak in surprise. Fred smiled into the kiss and pulled her face in closer to his. Their mouths melted together and Fred's stomach did summersaults. He broke away and Kairi let out a sigh as if her heart had just melted in her chest.

Kairi blushed and for once, she was at a loss for words.

Fred frowned. Oh no. His mind went into overdrive thinking of all the things he could have done wrong. The mood wasn't romantic enough. He was a terrible kisser. He kissed her too soon. His breathe still smelled like garlic from dinner.

Those thoughts vanished as soon as Kairi started to giggle. "Did you do all this just for a kiss?"

Fred blushed and turned away. "I wanted our first kiss to be special, something you would never forget. And I know how much romantic moments mean to you. I didn't want to disappoint you."

Kairi continued to giggle and shake her head. "Disappoint me? Fred, you didn't need to do all this for our first kiss. Not that it wasn't amazing or anything, but if you had just randomly kissed me in the hallway at school, I would've been happy."

"Really?" Fred stared at her in disbelief. "I just assumed you wanted some spectacular moment to tell all your girl friends about and something you could always look back on with a smile. I always have this urge to give you the best, because you deserve the best."

"I can look back on any moment with you and I'd smile." Kairi kissed him again. This time it was Fred's turn to let out a surprised moan. "And I have the best boyfriend in the world, I don't need anything else."

Fred beamed. "Well in that case, I'll just have to return this." He held out a small, white box and slowly opened it to reveal a golden necklace with a matching gold tiara pendant with three rose pink tourmaline gemstones on each point.

Kairi gasped. "It's gorgeous."

Fred slowly put the necklace on her. "Tourmaline is your birthstone, right? And I know you like pink, and I chose the tiara because you're my princess. And I-"

Kairi cut off his rant with another kiss. "I love it."

"I love you." The words slipped out of Fred's mouth before he could stop them. His bodied stilled and his heart stopped.

"I love you too." Kairi twirled her new necklace in her fingers and smiled at Fred.

Fred's bodied slowly thawed and his mouth spread open in a huge grin. He pulled her in close and held her tight, never wanting to let go or ruin this moment. They both let out a twitterpated sigh and watched the sun finish its descent over the horizon.

* * *

**A/N - This was a request from Writer25. She wanted me to write out Kairi and Fred's first kiss. I'm planning on giving all my couples little one-shots like this, so those should be coming up soon! I hoped you liked this. It's fun to write fluff-filled one-shots every now and then.**

**If you enjoyed, a review and a favourite would be very much loved. Thanks for reading!**


	13. How 'Bout a Dance?

**How 'Bout a Dance?**

"What do you mean, you're sick?" Sydney folded her arms and tapped her foot in annoyance.

"I mean, I'm sick. As in ill and bed ridden." Skyler coughed into his elbow. "Sorry, Syd. There's no way I'm up for dancing today."

"How did you even get sick?"

Skyler rolled his eyes. "People get sick, Sydney. Not all of us have magical G-roids that prevented us from ever becoming ill. One of these days you'll get sick, and I'll be here to laugh at you when you do." Skyler interrupted himself with several sneezes. "Ugh. I'm going to lay down. Try not to need me for anything."

* * *

"You've really never been sick before?" Joe laughed. "Like not even a cold?"

Sydney shook her head. "Never. Part of being a goddess was never getting sick. Now that my G-roids are gone-"

"G-roids?" Joe interrupted her.

"Skyler's nickname for my goddess abilities and powers. Like steroids, but with a more… magical touch." Sydney smiled as she examined her hands. "But anyway, Sky says he's too sick to work today and now we're missing valuable rehearsal and practice time."

"A few days off won't hurt anything." Joe gently kissed her forehead. "You could use a break. Isn't it off-season anyway?"

"Yes, but Sky and I usually use this time to build up a repertoire so that we have plenty of dances ready to go and save us time when it gets really busy."

"What if I helped you?" Joe asked.

Sydney burst out laughing.

Joe frowned. "What? I'm serious."

"I know you are, and that's what makes it so funny," she continued to laugh. "Sorry, Joe, but you don't exactly have… dance experience."

"You think I'm a bad dancer don't you?" Joe crossed his arms.

"No, I think what you do is great for parties and things, but not exactly for the professional world." Sydney gave him a sympathetic smile and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the offer though."

"Now I _have_ to prove you wrong." Joe smirked. He grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her off the sofa in her living room and into her dancing studio.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Sydney couldn't help but smile at him.

"_We_ are going to dance." Joe turned to face her. He spread his legs shoulder width apart and turned his feet outwards. "You always start in first position, right?"

Sydney rolled her eyes and smiled. "That's second position." She pushed his feet together. "Now, you're in first position. You're off to a great start here."

Joe shot her a teasing grin. "What's next?"

Sydney sighed. "We don't just strut in here and start dancing. We listen to the music first. Everyone has a different method of choreography. But Sky and I are visionary people," Sydney tapped the side of her head, "so we close our eyes and let the dance come to us."

"So what song are we working on today?" Joe watched her like an eager student ready to learn.

Sydney laughed at his readiness. "Like I said, it's repertoire day. Normally, we would just put the music and shuffle and see what happens, but there are rumors of a _Bonnie and Clyde_ revival coming up this season. So if we can get some stuff ready for that, then we have a better chance of being the choreographers for it."

"Sounds great. Let's dance." Joe held out his hand for her to take. He flashed her a flirty grin.

Sydney laughed again. "Did you hear what I just said? We listen to the music first." She walked over to the black grand piano in the corner of the room. She sighed. "And unfortunately we don't have the actual recordings to the music nor do I have the skills to play out the full song on the piano."

She played a few notes on the piano and hummed a romantic melody.

"That sounds pretty. What is it?" Joe said walking over to her.

A soft smile played on Sydney's lips. "One of the show's love ballads, and one of my personal favourite songs, _How 'Bout a Dance?_"

"I'd love to." Joe pulled her away and began to spin her around.

Sydney giggled and stopped him. "That's not what I meant."

"I know." Joe smirked and gave her a loving kiss. "But it doesn't seem that hard to dance to. So what do you say?" He held out his hand for her to take again. "Care for a dance?"

She tried to resist his flirty smile, but she eventually gave in to him. "I'd love to. But I can't exactly play the melody line and dance with you at the same time."

"No need to. You'll just have to sing it for me." Joe softly ran his hand through her golden hair. "I haven't heard you sing in a while. Let's see… how did that go?" He started to hum the notes Sydney played earlier, but he intentionally made it sound very out of tune.

"Not even close." Sydney crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Then how does it go?" He watched her with a sly grin on his face.

Sydney rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and began to sing to him.

"_How 'bout a dance? What do you say?_

_I've got some moves that I'd love to show ya._

_Let's find a spot and dance the night away._"

Joe swooped her into her arms and began to waltz her around the dance studio. Sydney laughed and went along with it. "When did you learn to waltz?"

Joe twirled her around and gracefully dipped her. He pushed her hair away from her face. "A magician never reveals his secrets. But let's just say I felt that because I'm the boyfriend of a highly talented dancer, I should know how to do a dance or two." He winked at her and began to spin her around the room once more.

"You learned to waltz just for me?" Sydney tilted her head and couldn't stop the loving gaze that spread out over her face.

"Mhmm." Joe nodded as they continued their dance around the room.

Sydney shook her head, but her smile remained bright. "Well, I'm very impressed. Sadly, this song is in common time, not three four time. A waltz wouldn't work for it."

"It does if we add a fourth step." Joe went through the standard step, step, together of a waltz and kissed Sydney firmly on the lips on the fourth beat. He repeated the movements over and over.

Sydney couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think it works like that."

"It does now. Think of it as our own special dance." Joe gave her his most flirtatious grin and his eyes shone with love. "I believe there's more of the song to be sung."

Sydney grinned affectionately and continued to sing for him.

_"How 'bout a dance? It's always fun._

_Come over here. Let me get to know ya._

_Can't beat a band to lift your spirits high._

_You look so handsome!"_

Sydney swiftly twirled out of his arms. She spread her arms out to her sides as she stopped and gave Joe a dazzling smile.

_"How 'bout a dance? Let's make a start._

_Music like this can really throw ya._

_You'll lose the blues, and you may lose your heart."_

She slowly sauntered up to him, giving her hips a little extra sway when she moved. Joe watched her with an adoring gaze and he couldn't help but sway along to the ebb and flow of her melodic voice. He was practically hypnotized by her sultry movements and lilting singing. He leaned in to kiss her as she approached him, but she coyly slipped by him, brushing up against his arm. She held her hands behind her back and continued to sashay and sway around the room as she acted out the emotions of the song, throwing in a few spins here and there.

_"Tonight is the night I've been waiting for._

_Even the moon looks just right._

_I'm sure the crowd will make room on the floor._

_When they see you look like you do."_

She turned her head over her shoulder to gaze seductively at Joe. She deftly spun on one foot and slowly started to walk back over to him.

_"So how 'bout a dance? Let's make a start._

_Music like this can really throw ya._

_You'll lose the blues, and you may lose your heart."_

Her voice slowly began to fade, but her eyes remained locked onto Joe. She stood an inch away from him and leaned her face in close. Her arms wound their way around his neck and she pulled his forehead down to hers. Joe eagerly responded by wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling her in closer to his body, leaving no space between them. Her sky blue eyes never left his.

_"You'll lose the blues, and you may lose your heart."_

Joe barely gave her enough to time to finish the long note. His lips immediately found hers and their mouths began their own special, amorous dance. He felt Sydney shift and suddenly her legs were wrapped around his waist. He adjusted his arms to hold her better and swiftly carried her off to her bedroom.

* * *

**A/N - Continuing my couple fluffy one-shots. :) This one featuring Sydney and Joe and their song "How 'Bout a Dance", which Sydney and Joe dance to often while Sydney sings it to Joe. I really enjoy writing these type of things so I'll probably do it more often. BTW, this takes place before they get married. **

**If you enjoyed, a favourite and a review would be very much loved! Follow me for more! Thanks for reading!**

**PS: I'm co-writing a TWT fanfic with Writer25, so if you haven't checked that out yet, you definitely should!**


	14. The Story of JJ: Part 1

**The Story of JJ Part 1**

Sydney snuggled closer to the bundle of warmth next to her. An unfamiliar, but pleasant smell filled her nose. Had her bed always been this comfy and warm? Sydney didn't want to open her eyes and wake up. She buried herself in her silk bed sheets and let out a sigh of content.

"Good morning, beautiful," a warm voice spoke up suddenly. A toned pair of dark-skinned arms wound themselves around Sydney's torso.

Her eyes snapped open and slowly took in the scene as well as last night's memories. Sydney felt her heart rate speed up, but not in fear. She smiled blissfully and nuzzled into Joe. His grip around her tightened.

"How are you feeling?" Joe murmured as he trailed light kisses down Sydney's back.

Sydney's head turned and she gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "Perfect. I don't think I've slept that well in years."

Joe reached down and caressed her cheek, pushing her honey blonde hair out of her face and revealing her newly formed scar. Sydney closed her eyes and leaned into his loving touch. "That's good to hear."

"What about you?" Sydney rolled over so she could face him. They were close enough for her to pick out all the individual freckles on his face. "You're the one who just lost their virginity."

"I think," Joe paused to pull her in close to him, touching his forehead to hers, "there's no one else I'd rather have been with." He closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth against her soft lips. Sydney felt a burst of desire dance around inside her chest. A soft moan escaped her mouth, and she decided that she could have died right then and there and she would've been okay with it. Time had stopped for her in that moment and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

But the moment had to end. The high Sydney had been riding ceased, and she fell back into reality.

Her phone buzzed on the shelf above her bed. She inwardly groaned and debated whether or not to answer it, but when it buzzed again, she knew she couldn't ignore it. Sydney blindly reached up and felt around for the annoying interrupter. She started when she noticed the time.

She held the red bed sheet to her bare chest and hurriedly sat up and immediately almost fell back down. Her hand rubbed the side of her head as a sudden moment of dizziness hit her. "How is it already eleven? I never sleep in like this."

"Something wrong?" Joe sat up and watched her with concern.

"I'm late for Sky's training session." Sydney looked around the bed for her clothes.

"Training session?" Joe placed a hand on her shoulder. "You almost died yesterday and you're going right back in to a training session?"

Sydney shrugged. "I promised Sky I'd help him become a time agent. I've been doing it almost every day for five years. I can't just stop now."

Joe chuckled. "I think he'll understand. He didn't come out of yesterday unscathed either. Besides," Joe lightly traced circles on the small of her back, "don't you want to spend a little more time with me?"

Sydney grinned at him. "Of course I do. But I do have other obligations, you know."

"Oh." Joe frowned. "I just thought… You really did enjoy it, right? I mean, I know it was my first time so I obviously wasn't going to be perfect or anything. But I did my best and I-"

Sydney captured his lips in a kiss and cut him off. "Last night was amazing. I wouldn't change a thing. You may not have been my first, but you were the first one that I loved."

Joe tilted his head and pushed her hair away from her face. "What does that mean?"

"That I love you and you shouldn't doubt yourself." Sydney gave him a quick peck on the lips before sliding out of bed and getting dressed. "I'll come see you later, okay? You should go check on your sister. She's probably worried that you didn't come back last night."

Joe was still looking at Sydney in concern, but he shook off his worries and nodded. "Right. I love you."

An unexpected warmth built up in Sydney's chest. "I love you too."

* * *

Sydney sighed and leaned into Skyler's side as another wave of dizziness washed over her. "I'm so sorry, Sky. I tried to make it through today's training. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Skyler shrugged. "It's okay. I was surprised you wanted to work on stuff today anyway. You did sort of almost die yesterday."

"I'm a god. We heal quickly." Sydney smirked at him.

"Not to mention your birthday is coming up." Skyler studied her. "Know what you're going to do yet?" He threw his arm around her shoulder as they walked out of the training room together.

"Are you kidding? I'm leaving this place as soon as I can." Sydney grinned. "I can't wait to finally be free from this prison."

"Have you told that Joe guy yet?"

Sydney blushed as flashbacks from the night before filled her mind. "Um… no. We didn't get a chance to talk a lot last night."

"Oh?" Skyler stopped and gave Sydney a fake pained look. "And why is this the first I'm hearing about this? I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other?"

"I didn't think that included my love life."

Skyler laughed and continued to walk down the hall. "I'm not saying I need all the details or anything, but it wouldn't hurt to know what's going on with your life. I thought we were best friends."

"There's not much to say." Sydney had a small grin on her face. "He helped me back to my room yesterday. We talked, and then… you know."

"Seems awfully quick," Skyler teased. His smirk softened. "So you really like this guy?"

Sydney laughed. "Yes, I really like him. I feel… happy with him." A wide grin spread over her face. "You know I didn't have any nightmares last night? I actually slept and it was great."

Skyler smiled down at her. "That's good to hear. You need someone to make you happy. Besides me, of course."

Sydney sniggered and bumped him with her hip. "You know I love you too, Sky."

"You going to see him later? As your honorary brother, I think I need to interrogate this guy a little. Make sure he's good enough for you."

"Stop it," Sydney continued to laugh. "If you questioned him, you'd just be asking about his sister the whole time anyway."

Skyler blushed. "What can I say? That Anna's a cute girl. It was love at first sight."

"And how much have you actually talked to her?"

Skyler's blush deepened, but he got a faraway look in his eyes. "Not enough."

Sydney opened her mouth to respond, but ended up stumbling into Skyler. She clutched his arm to stay upright. The room spun around her.

"You okay?" Skyler had concern written all over his face. "Maybe you haven't healed as much as you thought. We should get you to the infirmary."

All Sydney could do was nod. She tried to take a step, but her knees buckled underneath her. Skyler swiftly caught her and picked her up. "Come on. You're definitely not okay."

* * *

Sydney groaned and was having trouble keeping her eyes open. "What is going on with me? This can't be from yesterday. I would have healed by now. Even if it was some sort of concussion."

"Just relax." Skyler sat in a chair next to her hospital bed. "It's probably nothing."

"It doesn't feel like nothing," Sydney grumbled. She doubled over in pain and clutched at her stomach. She let out a string of curses. "I've died before and it wasn't this bad!"

"The nurse will be back soon. Just hold on." Skyler reassuringly rubbed her back.

Sure enough, a young-looking nurse walked into the room. "Hello, Goddess." The nurse lowered her head in a bow.

"Sydney is fine, thanks." She rolled her eyes at the nurse's behavior.

"Sorry, Sydney." The nurse bowed again.

Sydney frowned. "Right. Stop bowing before you strain your back. Just tell me what's wrong."

The nurse bit her lip. "We're not really sure. These symptoms are odd, especially for a goddess."

Sydney blinked. "You're not sure? What do you mean you're not sure? You have to have some idea of what's wrong with me."

"Well, these symptoms only match up with one thing we've seen before, but we would have to run additional tests to confirm it." The nurse wrung her hands. "Someone will be in soon to run the ultrasound."

"Ultrasound? Does she have a tumor or something?" Skyler looked at the nurse with a worried expression on his features.

"Not exactly. We think she might be pregnant."

"What?!" Sydney and Skyler exclaimed.

The nurse jumped. "I'm sorry, but like I said we don't know for sure yet. Goddess pregnancies are unlike mortal pregnancies. The symptoms and gestation period are completely different."

"Pregnant…" Sydney stared down at the floor. Skyler was just as shocked.

The nurse bowed again before leaving and returning with a more mature looking doctor. "Miss Tempus. We may be able to get this over with right now if you can answer one simple question for me. Have you had any sexual encounters recently?"

"Um…" Sydney's cheeks reddened.

"I will take that as a yes." The doctor sighed like a disappointed parent and motioned for the nurse to roll in a high-tech looking machine. "I'm going to have to ask you to remove your shirt." The doctor turned to Skyler. "You may leave the room now."

"Why?" Sydney stripped off her shirt, leaving her in a blue bra. "It doesn't bother us."

The doctor studied Skyler. "Oh! Are you the one she…"

"No!" Sydney and Skyler exchanged disgusted looks. "Never!"

"My apologies." The doctor nodded and moved towards the ultrasound machine. She flicked a switch and the machine turned on with a buzz. The screen flickered to life. The doctor grabbed a bottle filled with a clear lubricant. "This is going to be cold." The doctor spread it out on Sydney's stomach and Sydney shivered underneath its touch.

The doctor slid the probe over Sydney's stomach while staring at the monitor, searching for any signs of pregnancy. She paused when she found a small oblong circle shaped object. The doctor sighed again. "Well, that's all the confirmation we need. Congratulations, Miss Tempus. You're going to be a mother."

Sydney's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "But…" She examined the screen. "If I'm pregnant it would have happened very recently. That looks a little too big to me."

"As I'm sure my assistant already told you, goddess pregnancies are very different from normal pregnancies. You will experience different symptoms and in three months, you will have a baby."

"Three months?!"

The doctor shook her head. "I will have to explain more later. We are still treating people from yesterday's attack. Perhaps you should find your mother. I'm sure she can explain things to you."

"No thanks." Sydney's expression showed that she still hadn't recovered from the shock.

Skyler wasn't much better, but he reached over and grabbed Sydney's hand. "It'll be okay. Let's just go back to your room for now."

Sydney mutely nodded and followed Skyler out of the room.

* * *

"What do you mean, you still haven't told him?" Skyler angrily crossed his arms. "It's been two weeks. You're lucky you're no showing yet."

"My father told me to not talk to Joe or Anna until after the trial today." Sydney stubbornly turned her head away.

Skyler scoffed. "Because you're always one to listen to rules. And what about after the trial? Your birthday meeting is tonight."

"Don't remind me." Sydney buried her head in her hands. "Besides, Joe just made it very clear that he has no interest in talking." She gestured to the door where Joe had stormed out not too long ago.

Skyler sighed and sat down next to Sydney. He soothingly put an arm around her shoulders.

"I tried to tell him, but we just ended up fighting over the trial." Sydney looked to Skyler. "You understand my decision, right? Anna would have been fine."

Skyler nodded. "Of course. But I've been with you a lot longer than Joe has. It's understandable that he'd be worried for his sister. But if you had just told him about the pregnancy, none of this may have happened."

"I know," Sydney groaned. "I can't tell him now though. I don't think he's ever going to talk to me again."

Skyler stood. "I'll talk to him. No one hurts my best friend and gets away with it, especially on her birthday."

Sydney laughed. "Be easy on him. It's not his fault."

Skyler shrugged and winked at her as he left. "We'll see. I love you like a sister, Syd. If any boy hurts you, I will step in and hurt him back."

* * *

_3 Months Later…_

Sydney stared down at her protruding stomach. Three months. In three months she had gone through what took most women nine months to go through. Her hands rubbed up and down her stomach. She should be in New York right now, living a new life with Joe. Not stuck at Draylon about to give birth to a child. Joe's child, who he didn't even know about.

"Stupid council," Sydney grumbled. "Stupid replacement rule." She felt the baby kick and move around in her stomach. "Stupid baby."

"You don't mean that."

Sydney looked up to see Skyler standing in the middle of her room. She frowned. "Yes I do. If it weren't this baby, I'd be living my happily ever after in New York right now."

"If it weren't for that baby you wouldn't even be allowed to leave this place. Just because you're terrified of what's about to happen doesn't mean you have to get angry at your child." Skyler smiled at her.

Sydney sighed and made room for him to lay down next to her on her bed. "I never wanted this."

"But you're stuck with it," Skyler said as he stretched out next to her. "Admit it, you may be scared, but you're also excited. Enjoy it."

"Why are you even here?"

"I am here to help my best friend through the birth of her first child. Not exactly something I ever thought I'd say, but here I am."

"You don't have to do that." Sydney looked away.

"I didn't have to help you out for the past three months either. But I did, because I love you, and I'm not going to abandon you like that."

"You are an amazing guy, you know that? Anna is one lucky girl." Sydney leaned her head on Skyler. "You still sure you want to move to New York with me when all this is taken care of?"

"Positive. I still have a year to prep for it anyway."

Sydney looked up at him. "A year? I'm leaving as soon as-"

"You'll be here another year at least. You're just afraid to admit how much you already love that child and how terrified you are to raise it." Skyler looked at her with determined eyes. "You will be a great mother."

Sydney broke eye contact. "I'm the last person who should be a mother. I'm a killer, Sky, not a lover. I'm doing this kid a favor by getting out of its life."

"You keep telling yourself that and I'll be here to say 'I told you so' when you hold your baby and refuse to let it go." Skyler smirked at her. "It's okay to be scared. Every new mother is."

Sydney shook her head. "Why couldn't have we fallen in love? Life would be so much easier."

Skyler laughed. "Maybe in another life. We were just meant for different people." He paused and glanced down out her pregnant belly. "So when is the main event?"

Sydney shrugged. "Sometime today. Apparently I'll know when it's go time. I have no idea how though." Sydney paused and bit her lip. "You really think I'd make a good mother?"

"I know it. You are one of the strongest and most selfless people I've ever met. I know that you would do anything and everything to protect this child and give it the best life possible."

"But what if I'm the thing it needs protection from?"

Skyler sighed. "I think you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. After all, you haven't even given this whole motherhood thing a chance yet."

"I don't know, Sky. I still think that- agh!" Sydney doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach.

Skyler shot up. "Are you okay?"

Sydney shook her head. "No. Infirmary, now. It's go time."

* * *

**A/N - So I decided to write this (part 1 of 2) to explain more about Sydney and JJ's story from her finding out she's pregnant to her being forced to leave him at Draylon and a little something extra after that. This also kind of turned into a story of Sydney and Skyler's friendship. So let me know what you think with a review! Don't forget to favourite this story and follow me for more! Thanks for reading!**

**PS: I'm gonna be posting some updates to my profile soon, so be on the lookout for those!**


	15. The Story of JJ: Part 2

**The Story of JJ Part 2**

"Fuck!" Sydney doubled over in pain and clutched her stomach. Her face scrunched up and her teeth clenched together.

"Well, if you hadn't done that, you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place." Skyler watched her a few feet away from the infirmary bed she was laying on.

Sydney glared at him. "Not funny."

Skyler shrugged. "I thought it was. This labor thing has killed your sense of humor."

"Shut up," Sydney growled.

The doctor walked in with a shake of the head. "Oh, yes. You are definitely in labor. How do you feel?"

"Like I've just been shot… and still being shot. I knew labor hurt, but I didn't think it was this bad."

"Mortal labor, no. God labor, like every other part of this pregnancy, is different. There's a lot of energy being transferred. It will hurt, and don't think that this is the worst of it. The one benefit, is that it will be relatively quick. You should be holding your baby before the half hour is up." The doctor paused and studied Sydney. "If you want to that is."

Sydney bit her lip and looked away. Skyler sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "You should at least try to be a mother before you give your child up. I stand by what I said. You will be a great mother. You just have to get over this fear you have."

"You don't have much time to decide," the doctor spoke up. "Because when that baby is ready to be here, there's no stopping it."

Sydney's fists clenched as another burst of pain shot through her. "I can tell. Gods, this hurts! Can't you get it out now?"

The doctor shook her head. "No, but I do need to prep you now." She turned to Skyler. "Are you planning on staying here for the birth?"

"Um…" Skyler nervously stared at Sydney out of the corner of his eye.

"It's okay, Sky," Sydney spoke through gritted teeth. "I understand if you don't want to be here for this." She threw her head back and groaned in pain.

Skyler's face hardened. "I'm staying."

The doctor shrugged. "Very well then."

"Sky, you really don't have to do this." Sydney watched him.

"I am not going to leave you now. I've never abandoned you when you were pain, physical or mental, before, and I'm not going to start now." Skyler smiled down on her. "Now, let's get this baby out of you."

* * *

A loud wailing filled the room. The doctor held up a squirming baby boy and quickly swaddled him to still his waving arms. The baby continued his high-pitched crying.

Despite the annoying sound, Skyler grinned. "Syd, you have to- Syd?" Skyler had been so focused on the baby he hadn't noticed Sydney had passed out. Her hand felt cold in his. He started and stammered to the doctor, "Uh, doc? Something is wrong with Sydney. She's not responding."

"Hmm?" The doctor glanced up from trying to shush the baby. "Oh, yes. She will be recovering for a while. No need to worry. She'll be fine. The time energy just needs to refill her veins. However, while she is out, it will give us enough time to check over the baby and prep it to give to his new caregivers."

"Wait. Don't give it away just yet." Skyler reluctantly stepped away from Sydney.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I thought she didn't want the child?"

"I think she's going to change her mind." Skyler glanced back at Sydney. "Look, do whatever you need to do to make sure the baby is okay and any other post-birth procedures required, but don't give her son away yet."

"Whatever you say." The doctor nodded to Sydney. "She should be up in an hour or so. I trust you'll be staying here with her?"

Skyler nodded in response and the doctor left with the baby in her arms. He returned to Sydney's side. "Don't worry, Syd. I'm looking out for you. The baby will be yours."

* * *

The bright light enhanced by the stark white walls blinded Sydney's eyes as she gained consciousness. She struggled to remember what had happened. The last thing she could remember was a searing pain in her stomach, then blackness had started to close in on her. She must have blacked out, but not before she heard the feint cries of a newborn.

The baby. Her baby.

Sydney shot up and rapidly searched the room. She was immediately hit with what felt like a punch to the back of the head. She groaned and began to sway and fall back onto the bed.

"Easy there." A pair of strong arms caught her before she could collapse.

Skyler. Sydney leaned into his reassuring arms. She may have given up her child, but her best friend was here to comfort her. An ache bloomed in her heart. She never even had a chance to look into her child's face or know if it was a boy or a girl. A sharp pang of guilt ran through her.

"What have I done?" Sydney buried her face in her hands.

Skyler wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You just gave birth to a lovely baby. And he is now on his way to his new guardian."

"He?" Sydney looked up. "It's a boy?"

"Mhmm." Skyler nodded. "With quite the set of lungs."

"So he's okay? I mean, he was healthy and… and… he's okay?" Sydney clung to Skyler's shirt.

Skyler gently laughed and pushed her hands away. "Yes, he is okay. Doctor said everything went well. His guardian won't have to worry about a thing."

"Right…" Sydney's eyes focused on her lap. "His guardian…"

"Is that regret I hear? Why? I thought you couldn't wait to push him away and give him a better life. As soon as you get de-godified, you can leave this place once and for all now." Skyler smirked at her and watched for her reaction.

"I did, but…" Sydney felt tears well up in her eyes. "Do you think I made the right choice? I didn't think I would miss him this much, I never even saw him, but I don't know that I should have given him up."

"Are you saying you want him? You're willing to take on the responsibility of being a mother?"

Sydney nodded. "Gods, Sky. It hurts to not be holding him right now. I'm his mother I should be with him right now!"

"Well, lucky for you, you're best friend was here for you." Skyler got up and motioned outside the door to someone.

Sydney looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I may have told the doctor that you had changed your mind and weren't going to give him away." Skyler shrugged nonchalantly and pretended to not notice the huge grin that had broken out on Sydney's face.

The doctor entered the room carrying in her arms, a green blanket wrapped around a small being.

Skyler grinned. "Sydney, meet your son."

Sydney instinctively reached forward for her child, desperate to hold him. The doctor gladly handed him over to her. Skyler had never seen such joy on Sydney's face before. She held her son close and softly cooed at him. "Hello, baby." Sydney's fingertips gently caressed his dark-skinned face. The baby stared up at her with wide green eyes. He had quieted down from his earlier cries and was now calm. Sydney's eyes stung as fresh tears started to form. But this time they were tears of joy.

Skyler strode over to her and leaned against the bed. "He is cute, isn't he?"

"He's perfect." Sydney managed to look away from her son temporarily to glance up at Skyler. "Thank you, Sky. If you hadn't told the doctor I wanted him, I don't know what I would have done."

"Don't sweat it." Skyler grinned at her and the baby. "So, what are you going to name him?"

Sydney smiled down on her son. "I think Joseph Arthur Junior seems apt. JJ for short."

Skyler nodded. "He certainly looks like his dad. I think it's a great name. You sure about this whole motherhood thing?"

Sydney's eyes hardened with determination. "Yes. I want to be the one to raise my son." She bent over and softly kissed JJ's forehead. "I love you, JJ and I will never let you go again. I promise."

* * *

_One Year Later…_

Sydney leaned over JJ's crib and watched him as he slept. He had grown so much in one year, and he looked more and more like Joe every day. They shared the same brown hair that liked to stick straight up and even the same magical green eyes, even though JJ's had the godly bright green ring in them. It seemed like just yesterday she was holding him in her arms for the first time. Now here she was over one year later, about to go through one of the biggest changes of her life.

Sydney reached down and stroked JJ's cheek. He smiled under her touch and shifted around in his sleep. Sydney never knew it was possible to love someone this much. She couldn't imagine her life without JJ in it… and soon it would be.

"Hey." Skyler walked into her room-turned-nursery. "I'm here for babysitting duty. How's the little guy doing today?"

Sydney continued to run her fingers along JJ's face. "Tired. He's been asleep for a while now. But I did manage to wake him up to feed him a little bit ago, so you should be good for a while there." Sydney straightened up and turned to Skyler. If there was ever a doubt in her mind that Skyler was her best friend, it had completely vanished in the past year. He had been with her every step of the way and was always there when she needed the support… and gods did she need it. Especially now.

"You have your worried face on." Skyler crossed his arms and tilted his head at her. "What's wrong?"

"My worried face?"

"You're a very expressive person, Syd. And in the past six years that I've known you, I have learned to identify each one of your wild emotions by facial expression." He stepped forward. "Now, what is bothering you?"

Sydney sighed. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle JJ during my procedure?"

"Of course. JJ and I will be fine. You'll only be gone for an hour."

"A week."

Skyler blinked. "What?"

"The procedure itself should only take an hour, but Nicole said the recovery time would be at least a week, if not longer." Sydney wrapped her arms around herself. "Becoming a mortal isn't easy."

Skyler shook his head. "Um… okay. A little bit longer than I thought, but it's nothing I can't handle." He gave her his most confident grin. "I will be the best babysitter there ever was."

Sydney managed a small smile. "Good. Thanks for doing this."

"I'm glad to do it. You know I love JJ like he was my own son."

Sydney's smile disappeared. "But he's not, Sky. You remember that, right? One day, when I get back to New York, I'll tell Joe about JJ."

"I know." Skyler grinned. "But you still don't know when that day will be. You sure me watching JJ for a week is the only that's worrying you?"

Sydney ran a hand through her messy hair. Her normal never-go-out-looking-worse-than-you-would-if-your-worst-enemy-were-paying-a-visit attitude had quickly died when she started caring for JJ. Making sure he was happy and healthy was far more important to her than how she looked.

"It's not. I can tell." Skyler sat down on a maroon Victorian chaise lounge and patted the empty spot next to him. "Come on, tell Dr. Skyler what's wrong."

Sydney sat down heavily next to him and gratefully leaned into Skyler's side. "I know I can't stay here forever, but I can't bring myself to leave JJ behind."

"You'll figure something out. You always do."

There was a hard knock on the door, stopping their conversation.

Sydney straightened up and marched to the door. She took a moment to brace herself before opening the door. "Hello, Nicole."

Nicole briskly stepped into the room. "It's time. The doctors have everything prepped and ready to go. By the end of the day, you will no longer be a goddess. You will lose your immortality and all of your powers. This is your last chance to change your mind."

Sydney folded her arms over her chest. "Never. I'm ready to give this all up."

Nicole frowned at her daughter. "Very well then. I assume you're ready to leave?"

"One minute." Sydney headed over to JJ's crib. He was still asleep and Sydney had to fight the urge to bend over and pick him up. "I'll be back soon, my little prince. Be good for Uncle Sky." She waved her hand over his crib and several time currents appeared. They slowly danced above JJ's head and formed random shapes and pictures. The boy stirred, but remained sleeping. The time currents would remain there until Sydney pushed them away.

Sydney leaned over to give JJ a final kiss goodbye before heading over to Skyler. "You know where all the diapers are, and I filled plenty of bottles that should hopefully last the rest of the week. If not, there's some formula you can use. He hasn't been weening too well, so if he doesn't take the bottle at first, just hold him for a little and try again. Make sure he still gets all the sleep he needs, about fourteen hours a day. And-"

"Relax, Syd. I know." Skyler placed his hands on Sydney's arms. "I've been with him just as long as you have."

Sydney nodded and gave Skyler a tight hug. "Thanks again. I don't know where I'd be without you."

Skyler returned the embrace and got one last look into her sky blue eyes with the familiar bright green ring that would soon be gone. "Just returning the favor for all you've done for me all these years."

Sydney smiled at him one last time before following Nicole out the door.

* * *

_2 Months Later…_

JJ giggled as Sydney bounced him up and down on her knees. He was a lot bigger than most one-year-olds and had grown and developed more and more each day. He was already walking (though mostly stumbling) and could even say a few words.

JJ's eyes lit up as Sydney continued to play with him. She didn't know how much time she had left with him, but she planned to enjoy every minute of it.

Sydney glanced up at Skyler walked into her room. He had been here almost every day since JJ was born and at this point it just seemed like he was coming home to help with their baby. Skyler may not have been JJ's actual father, but he had acted like it this past year and he had been great at it.

Skyler grinned. "Hello, JJ."

JJ smiled and waved at Skyler. "Hi!"

Skyler ruffled JJ's hair and sat down across from him and Sydney. "And how's mommy today?"

"Exhausted." Sydney blew her bangs out of her face.

Skyler tilted his head. "Want me to watch JJ while you take a nap?"

Sydney shook her head. "It's more of a mental exhaustion."

"Oh?" Skyler watched her. "What's up?"

"Nicole told me that unless I've changed my mind, I need to leave in a month."

Skyler was silent for a moment. "And have you changed your mind?"

Sydney sighed and focused her attention on JJ. "If I stay, Nicole is going to force me to go back to being a goddess and I'll be right back where I started. Endless training and mental torture. But if I leave, I can't take JJ with me. I can't just abandon him like that. I'd be no better than Nicole."

"You would be a lot better than Nicole. You love JJ and he knows that. Anyone who has ever seen you with him would know that." Skyler smiled sympathetically at her.

"Love!" JJ pointed to his heart and smiled at Sydney.

Sydney chuckled and pointed to her own heart. "I love you too, JJ."

"See?" Skyler watched the two interact. "He knows how much you love him and he loves you too."

"So what? You think I should leave?" She turned to Skyler with questioning eyes.

"I think you should do what's best. You and I both know if you stay here and get forced back into Nicole's psychological warfare, you won't make it. Not to mention you probably wouldn't be able to take care of JJ if you were constantly being subjected to Pluphoria injections."

Sydney nodded. "I know I can't stay. No one would benefit from it. But I can't leave JJ behind, Sky." Sydney pulled JJ in close and held him against her chest. "What's to stop Nicole from doing all that stuff to JJ?"

"Well, you'd have to leave someone in charge of him. Just make that someone not Nicole."

"I want to take him with me, but warping with him when he's so young would kill him. But I can't afford to stay here for a few more years until he can warp. I was debating on who I should leave him, but I don't know…"

JJ squirmed and pushed himself away from Sydney. "Mommy sad." He gently touched her face and frowned.

Sydney offered him a soft smile. "Mommy isn't sad." She leaned her forehead against his. "Mommy just loves you too much." She kissed his nose and JJ giggled in response.

"What about Ashleigh and Kyle? They're good with JJ and with their jobs, they're both living up here now."

"I thought about that, but with Ashleigh being pregnant and all, I don't know if I should leave JJ with them."

"You know they could handle it. They're the best people to look after JJ while you're gone. It's not like you'll never see him again. We'll get pocket watches when we leave and we can come back any time to see him." Skyler reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It will all be okay."

Sydney bit back tears. "I don't have a choice, do I? I'm going to have to leave my son behind." She closed her eyes and recentered herself. "If I have to do this, I'm going to make sure he is safe and properly taken care of."

* * *

**A/N - So I know I said this would be two parts, but I'm turning it into three because it got a lot longer than I had anticipated. So let me know what you're thoughts are so far with a review! Add this story to your favourites if you really like it and don't forget to follow me to be alerted to when I update! Thanks for reading!**

**PS: I've updated my profile with some news and updates about what's going on in my life, so check that out and stay tuned for more info!**


	16. The Story of JJ: Part 3

**The Story of JJ: Part 3**

_One Month Later…_

"Here." Nicole roughly shoved the papers into Sydney's hand. "I've signed your silly contract. Now are you ready to leave or not?"

Sydney smirked at her and shook her head. "Did you even read what you just signed, Nicole?" She balanced JJ on one hip.

Nicole raised an eyebrow at her. "I got the gist of it. Why?"

Sydney chuckled. "Maybe I should go over the details with you, just to be sure." Sydney gestured to Ashleigh and Kyle who were waiting patiently in the room. "Ashleigh and Kyle are now JJ's guardians. None of the gods, including you, see him without Ashleigh or Kyle in the room too. He won't start training until he's ten and if Ashleigh or Kyle think that the training is getting too intense, he will be pulled out. He won't be involved in prophecies or meetings until he's ten, and he will be kept safe during any attack. Skyler and I will be visiting frequently to check up on him and to make sure that you haven't broken the contract. Understood?"

Nicole frowned. "I don't know how you expect me to be able to-"

"I don't want you to do anything. That's the point." Sydney stepped up and got in Nicole's face. "Stay away from my son. Or else."

Sydney shouldered past Nicole and strode over to her friends. "You heard the conditions. Make sure they are followed." Sydney handed JJ over to Ashleigh and the confident show she had been putting on broke. She bit her lip and tried to fight back the tears.

"He'll be okay, Sydney. We'll make sure of it." Ashleigh gave her a reassuring grin.

"I just wish…"

"I know."

"Mommy?" JJ turned to look at Sydney with a confused expression on his face.

Sydney tried to smile at him, but failed. "I have to go away for a little while JJ, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. I will be back soon. I promise." She wiped away the tears that had fallen down her face. She softly kissed JJ's forehead. "I love you."

JJ grinned and pointed to Sydney's heart. "Love."

Skyler gently put his hand on Sydney's shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"No, but I don't have much of a choice do I?" Sydney gave JJ a final loving glance and kiss goodbye and followed Skyler back over to Nicole.

"Well," Nicole said with a huff, "all of your belongings have been moved to that overly expensive penthouse you chose to live in." She handed Sydney a lime green credit card along with several documents. "These are all the papers you'll need to start a new life and that credit card has an unlimited amount of cash for you to use until you finish college. However, it is only to be used for essentials. Do I make myself clear?"

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Yes, Nicole. I would never dream of spending your money on anything but the essentials."

Nicole frowned. "Are you ready?" Nicole didn't give them a chance to answer. She snapped her fingers and they were gone in a flash of green light.

* * *

They landed with a thud in the middle of a spacious penthouse. The outer walls were composed entirely of windows that looked out over the Manhattan horizon from thirty stories in the air. The living stretched up two stories and the second floor hung over the living room while various modern style furniture decorated the rooms.

Skyler let out a low whistle. "This place looked great in the photos, but I didn't think it would look this awesome in real life."

Sydney didn't respond. Her eyes were trained on the floor as silent tears fell down her face.

Skyler immediately wrapped her up in a hug. "It'll be okay, Syd. We'll see him again before you know it. Ashleigh and Kyle will take good care of him."

"I know, but I should be the one taking care of him."

"He knows you love him, and when he gets old enough, he'll understand why you made the choices you did."

"Let's hope you're right." Sydney took a deep breath and pulled away. "Shall we tour our new home?"

Skyler scratched the back of his head. "I was kind of hoping that we could see Anna and Joe first. Besides, you kind of have big news to deliver to Joe."

"Right." Sydney smiled and mentally prepared herself for Joe's reaction. "Let's see if they missed us as much as we missed them over the last year and a half."

* * *

Sydney felt pure euphoria holding Joe's hand for the first time in over a year and the stolen kisses that he kept giving her on the way back to her penthouse only added to that feeling. She twirled the necklace he had bought her between her fingers. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for another kiss.

"You keep this up and we'll never make it back to my penthouse." Sydney laughed as they pulled apart.

"I can't help it." Joe rubbed circles on the small of her back. "I've missed you so much. I was starting to worry that you would never come back."

Sydney leaned into him. "Of course I would come back. I would never leave you like that."

"Glad to hear it." He captured her lips in another kiss and mumbled against her lips, "so how far are we from your penthouse?"

"About five feet." Sydney nodded over his shoulder to the entrance of her building. "Well, five feet and about thirty stories, but the elevator is fast."

Joe's head bent back and looked like it was about to fall off. "Nice building."

"It better be." Sydney laughed. "I'm not paying fifteen million a year to live in a terrible place."

Joe's jaw dropped. "How much?"

Sydney grinned. "Technically, my lovely mother is paying for it. And fifteen million is pretty cheap compared to most penthouses in Manhattan."

"Well," Joe grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her inside, "shall we head up?"

The short elevator ride to the top gave Sydney some time to think about how to tell Joe about JJ, which she still had to do. She couldn't bring herself to say the words: You have a son. She was terrified of his reaction. Would he even believe her? Does he want to be a dad?

"You okay?" Joe was looking at her with concern in his eyes. "You had a weird look on your face."

Sydney blinked. "Yeah, I'm just so glad to be with you again."

Joe grinned at her. "Me too."

The elevator doors dinged open and they stepped into Sydney's new home. There was a sharp intake of breath as Joe took in his surroundings. "This place is huge!" He waltz into the living room and gazed around the room. "You have a fireplace and everything! And how big is that TV?"

"One hundred and ten inches. Biggest TV they sell on the market, but that's nothing. We have a movie theatre room with a huge projection screen."

"I thought the card you had was only supposed to be used on essentials?" Joe smirked at her.

"I can't watch movies on a tiny screen. I need the best quality money can buy." Sydney crossed her arms. "I have a lot of stuff to see too. Draylon didn't exactly get cable and I never had time to go to the movies."

"Then you and I will have to have a Netflix night." Joe walked over to her and pushed her hair out of her face. "So do I get a full tour?"

"I haven't even seen the whole place yet." Sydney laughed. "Skyler and I went to find you and Anna the moment we got here."

"Then let's go." Joe grabbed her hand and led her upstairs. "I'm assuming the bedrooms are upstairs? You said something about bringing your old bed along?"

Sydney's stomach fluttered. She wanted nothing more than to be with Joe again, but she knew telling him about JJ was more important. And to be honest, she wasn't sure she was ready to be intimate like that again yet. She was still in mom-mode, not sexy girlfriend mode. She followed Joe up the stairs anyway and thought about what to say.

Sydney mentally scolded herself, _Just tell him. He needs to know about his son._

Joe tentatively pushed open a door revealing an open bedroom filled with a large bed and a few decorations.

Sydney recognized a few of the items. "This must be Sky's room."

Joe sighed. "Nice, but not what I'm looking for."

Sydney rolled her eyes and continued down the hall with Joe. The next room they tried was obviously Sydney's. It had all the items she had brought over with her from Draylon including her large bed. It was custom designed for her, bigger than a California king, and fitted with deep red silk sheets.

"Well, I'd love to see the rest of the place, but I think there's something else we need to take care of first." Joe's eyes glinted with desire.

Before Sydney could stop him to say what she need to say, Joe's mouth was on hers and she could feel him pushing her back to the bed. Sydney's body reacted without her permission and her arms wound their way around his neck. A fire burned in her gut that she hadn't felt in a long time.

The next thing Sydney knew, they were on her bed, the weight of Joe's body pushing down on her. Joe's hand slid down to her waist and teasingly moved up and down her leg.

His kissed moved from her lips to her neck. "I've missed you so much," he moaned against her neck.

_Sydney, you need to stop this now_, she thought to herself. _You need to tell him about JJ._

She opened her mouth to tell Joe to stop, but her breath caught in her throat instead as Joe's hand sensually slipped up her shirt towards her chest and his kisses moved farther south.

"Joe, wait." Sydney barely managed to get the words out.

Joe stilled his hands and hovered over her. "Relax. I know the last time we did this wasn't the best, but I know what I'm doing this time. I've been… doing some research, and I can't wait to show you everything that I've learned." Joe winked at her and stripped off his shirt. "I promise I'll make you feel good."

"Joe… _Oh._" Sydney failed to form any words. _Has Joe always been this toned?_

Joe's hands and mouth went back to work and Sydney couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips. Her back arched up into him and she ran her hands through his hair. The fire in her gut burned hotter and she forgot all the reasons why they shouldn't be doing this. She pressed her body into his while one of Joe's hands reach down to pull one of Sydney's legs around his waist. His hand slowly moved up and down her inner thigh.

Sydney's mind snapped back to reality and she had a brief moment of clarity as she felt Joe start to fumble with the belt of his pants.

"No, stop." Sydney gasped for air and pushed Joe away, pulling her shirt back down.

Joe fell back with a hurt look on his face. "Is something wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Yes… no… I don't know." Sydney shook her head and leaned back. "I'm sorry, Joe."

"I told you, it won't be like last time…"

"There was nothing wrong with last time, Joe." Sydney smiled at him. "Last time was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing. I really enjoyed being with you."

"Then what's wrong now?"

"A lot has happened while I've been gone and there's something I have to tell you." Sydney stared into his green eyes.

Joe tilted his head. "What is it?"

_You have a son. Just tell him already._ Sydney bit her lip. "I… I think we took things too fast last time."

"What makes you say that?"

_Because the last time we did this I ended up pregnant. _Sydney groaned. She wasn't lying technically. She did feel like they moved too fast last time. She loved Joe and making love with him had been amazing, but their relationship needed time to grow before they were together like that again.

"I think we need to spend some time together and catching up with each other before we do anything like this again."

"Oh." Joe frowned and looked down.

Sydney felt guilty looking at his depressed expression. She felt even guiltier when she thought about not telling him about JJ. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Sydney grabbed Joe's chin and tilted it towards her. "It doesn't mean I don't love you, because trust me, I do. I loved being with you before. You make me feel things I didn't think it was possible for someone like me to feel. One day we'll be together again. I promise."

"Okay." Joe smiled for her. "I love you too."

* * *

Skyler bounced through the door with a huge grin on his face. Today had been great. He asked Anna out and then they had spent the whole day together. They had planned on seeing a movie or something, but ended up spending the whole day talking instead. Anna gave him a tour of New York. Skyler never thought he could feel so happy just holding someone's hand and listening to them talk before. But Anna was a special girl and she meant the world to him. He knew in his gut that they were meant for each other.

He spotted Sydney sitting on their new sectional with an absentminded look in her eye. She was slowly tracing the scar on her collarbone and Skyler instantly knew something was wrong.

"I'm guessing he didn't take the news well?" Skyler sat down next to Sydney and was prepared to comfort her.

"I didn't tell him."

Skyler frowned at her. "Sydney…"

"Don't give me that look. You look like a disappointed father."

"I _am_ disappointed. Sydney, you need to tell him. Do I even want to know how you two spent the day instead?"

"All we did was cuddle and talk about what we had been up to the past year and a half."

"And you didn't tell him about JJ? He's all you've been up to."

Sydney sighed. "I'm a terrible person. I left my son behind this morning and I couldn't bring myself to tell his father that he even exists."

Skyler shook his head and put an arm around Sydney's shoulder. "You're not a terrible person. You did what you had to do. It's not like you can keep JJ hidden from Joe forever. You'll tell him when the time is right, and that time better be soon."

"I miss him." Sydney pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Do you think he's doing okay?"

"I know he is. You left him with good people. You've been friends with my brother and Ashleigh just as long as you've known me. You know they can handle JJ."

"I also know that I should be with him right now. He's going to hate me." Sydney started scratching at her wrists.

"Stop it." Skyler grabbed her hands. "JJ is not going to hate you. We just need to give him time to adjust and we'll be able to see him soon. I miss him too."

Sydney rested her head on Skyler's shoulder. "We should have told JJ you were his dad. You've basically been his dad so far."

"You don't mean that. JJ deserves to know who he real father is." Skyler forced Sydney to face him. "Promise me you'll tell Joe about JJ."

"I promise."

"Soon?"

"Soon."

* * *

_One Month Later…_

Their first month in New York were amazing. Sydney had pulled some strings and managed to get her and Skyler to be the choreographers for a West End revival of _42__nd__ Street_ that would hopefully be moving to Broadway before the year ended. Sydney missed JJ and felt the ache of his absence every day. She hadn't been able to tell Joe yet, and Sydney was doubting that she ever would. Instead of telling him like she should have, their days had been spent talking and Joe showing her the best TV shows and movies from the past seven years and other than the occasional passionate moment, Joe had honored Sydney's request to take things slow for now.

In just one month, her life became so much better here than it ever had been in Draylon. Sydney smiled to herself as she drove over to Joe's house in navy blue Maserati GranTurismo Convertible. Having a way to get around New York was a necessity, and Sydney wanted to do it in style. The additional black McLaren P1 she had bought herself was probably not considered a necessity, but she didn't care. And of course, Sky needed a way to get around too, so she had bought him a red Bugatti Veyron. Anything to get back at Nicole, even if it was just a financial annoyance.

Sydney pulled up in front of Joe's house and quickly walked up the steps, rang the doorbell, and waited for Joe to answer the door. Netflix night had become a ritual for them, and Sydney looked forward to it every week. Not only did she get some quality time with her boyfriend, but she could let herself relax and not worry about anything, like looking good. Her hair was loosely piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she had chosen to wear black leggings and a gold crop top t-shirt. She could freely rub her eyes without worrying about smearing any make-up too. They usually watched Netflix at Sydney and Skyler's home theatre, but Sydney had told Skyler he could use it tonight for a date with Anna. So now Sydney and Joe were going to be spending the night in his room. His mom didn't mind (she genuinely seemed to like Sydney and Sydney was more than happy to have a good motherly figure in her life) as long as they kept the door open. Sydney was okay with that given that she and Joe were still taking it slow and having that extra security measure to keep him in line didn't hurt. Joe said something about his mom not being home tonight, so the open door rule didn't really matter for the night anyway.

Joe opened the door and immediately greeted Sydney by pulling her in for a deep kiss. "Hello, beautiful." His lips brushed against hers as he spoke.

Sydney giggled and rolled her eyes. "Hello, handsome. Ready for Netflix night? What are we watching tonight?"

"It's time I introduced you to the perfection that is _Breaking Bad_, but first, I ordered us a pizza from Ray's that we need to go pick up." Joe threw his arm around her waist. "And I figured we could take your amazing car to get there, and maybe I could drive." He looked at her with wide, pleading eyes.

Sydney smiled and shook her head. "Be careful." She handed him the keys and got back in her car.

Joe giddily hopped in the driver's seat and drove off to Ray's.

"You know you could have just told me to pick up the pizza on my way over here. Or had it delivered like a normal person."

"But then I wouldn't be able to drive." Joe winked at her and stretched over to grab her hand. "Besides I know a shortcut we can take to get there quicker."

They pulled up to Ray's ten minutes later. Joe hopped out of the car and turned back to Sydney, "You coming in?"

Sydney shook her head. "I'll watch the car."

Joe shrugged and went inside to pick up the pizza. Sydney got out of the car and walked around it to make sure it hadn't gotten scratched on the drive over. She could easily fix any damage or just buy a new car, but she had grown fond of sports cars and hated to see any damage done to them.

Sydney heard footsteps behind her and assumed it was Joe coming back to the car. "I'm impressed. You didn't get any scratches on- _oomph_!"

"I want all your money. Now." A mysterious looking man pushed her into the alley next to Ray's, just out of sight of the window. He pressed a dull knife against the side of her neck. He was close enough to Sydney's face that all she could smell was the tobacco on the man's breath.

"Easy there. I don't have any money."

"You're telling me you have a car like that and you don't have any money? That's a load of bullshit. You rich hussies are all the same. Holding on to all of your money and refusing to give any of it to the poor."

Sydney carefully analyzed the situation. The man had her pinned against the wall with her arms stuck behind her back. She had no doubt by the crazed look in his eyes that he would use that knife on her without thinking twice about it. If he could just move back a little…

Sydney focused her eyes on a spot on the wall behind the attacker. "Uh…"

"What?" The man's paranoia peaked. His head snap over his shoulder and his grip loosened.

Sydney smirked and took advantage of his distracted state to knee him in the crotch.

The man cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

"Stupid bitch," a new deep voice spoke up.

Sydney groaned. Of course he wasn't alone. She spun on her heel and sneered at the new man. "Want to end up like your friend here?"

"Want to end up dead?" The man held up a gun. "My friend asked nicely. Give us your money. Now."

The man Sydney had knocked down stood up behind her. "Do it. You're trapped and we'll kill you before you could make a move."

Except that Sydney couldn't give them what they wanted. She genuinely didn't have any money on her besides the Draylon card and that was in the car, not like she'd give it to them anyway. Sydney looked at the surrounding walls. She could run up the wall and over the guys' heads, but she hadn't attempted something like that since she gave up her powers. Having a kid probably didn't help much either, and Sydney made a mental note to continue fighting practice with Sky just in case of another event like this. She questioned how good the man's aim was, but believed their earlier threat about them shooting her the moment she made any suspicious movement.

"Let's go, bitch. We don't have all night here."

Sydney clenched her fists. She decided she didn't care about getting shot, these guys needed to be hit. Hard.

The man in front of her slumped over before Sydney could do anything.

Joe stood behind him with a pizza box held above his head. "Do not call my girlfriend a bitch."

"Hey!" The man behind Sydney lunged for Joe.

Sydney kicked her foot out and hit the man square in the chest. She ran to Joe without hesitation. "Glad you could join the party."

"Look out!" Joe shoved her out of the way and held her against a wall as a gunshot rang out over head. Sydney could practically feel the testosterone radiating off of Joe. A wave of déjà vu hit her as memories of Joe saving her during her battle with Kerk rushed into her head. Sydney felt something click inside her. Her blue eyes bored into Joe's green ones.

The man with the gun stumbled and held his head. The gun dropped from his hands and clattered to the ground.

"We need to leave." Joe grabbed Sydney's hand and pulled her to the car.

Joe sped the car back to his house and quickly led Sydney inside. They hadn't said a word the ride home and their hearts hadn't stopped racing form the attack.

Joe pulled Sydney into his room, grabbed her face, his brows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

Sydney focused on his eyes and mutely nodded, her heart beating against her chest.

"Thank God." Joe touched his forehead to hers. "I came out with the pizza and when you weren't in the car I became worried, and then I heard voices and that man had a gun trained on you. I'm so sorry. I should have just had the pizza delivered. This is all my fault. If you had gotten hurt, I don't know what I-"

Sydney tackled Joe with a kiss, pushing them both onto his bed. Joe pushed Sydney away so he could breathe. "Um… sorry. What's happening here?"

"I love you."

"I love-" That was all Joe could get out before Sydney cut him off with another kiss.

Joe had to push her away again. "So… uh… what?" Joe was gasping for air.

"You saved me." Sydney traced her fingers down the side of his face.

"Um… you're welcome?" He kept his hands up so she wouldn't attack him with another kiss.

"Tonight reminded me why I fell in love with you in the first place. I wanted to show you how much I love you. And gods, do I love you." Sydney bit her lip and gazed at Joe through half-lidded eyes.

"Oh…" Joe blinked, not getting her message. "_Oh._" Realization spread across his features. "But I thought you wanted to take things slow?"

"I did, but slow just really isn't our style. After tonight, something just flicked on in me." Sydney toyed with her hair. "And I don't think I can turn it off."

"Are you sure about this? I mean, you've been pretty adamant about not letting things go too far."

"You sure are talking a lot for someone who I know has been wanting this to happen for a while. Making love is beautiful and it's what you do when there is nothing else you can do or say to express to someone just how much you love them. I've reached that point." Sydney stopped briefly to take off her shirt. "And yes. I'm sure."

"Hi," Joe squeaked out, staring at her well-endowed figure.

Sydney smirked. "I believe you've been doing some research over this area? I'd love to see what you've learned."

Joe shook his head and regained his composure. Swiftly, he flipped them over so that he was on top and gave her his sexiest grin. "I'd love to show you."

* * *

**A/N - The conclusion to the JJ prequel is finally done. I have a few ideas to do more chapters with JJ in the future, but until then i have plenty of Untold Stories chapters to post! Dead Debts might not be out for a while until I can get all these chapters posted. Sorry.**

**Let me know what you thought by leaving a review (looking at my traffic stats, I know a lot of you see this, but don't review.)! If you really liked it a favourite would be very much loved (a lot of you say you like it, but this story only has one favourite)! Follow me to stay alerted on when I update next. Thanks for reading!**


	17. Homesick

**Homesick**

Sam would never understand Cade's love for danger. Sam watched as Cade skimmed through the latest issue of _National Geographic_ and talked about how badly she wanted to go completely off-grid in Asia to work with tigers up close. She was trying to be the Jane Goodall of tigers.

"Do you even hear yourself? Do you know how crazy that is?" Sam emphatically waved his arms.

Cade rolled her eyes. "Sam, I grew up in Australia. I'm used to dealing with wild things. Besides, how else am I supposed to make any discoveries?"

"In a safe lab like everyone else! Or better yet, just read about it online!" Sam crossed his arms. "Field work is dangerous. I just don't want you getting hurt is all."

Cade sighed. "I appreciate your concern, but I can make my own choices. And I'd like to point out that I never said I was actually going anywhere. I'd jump on the opportunity if it presented itself, but I've been so busy with university that I haven't had time to look into any study abroad opportunities."

"You don't need to study abroad. You can find anything you need to right here in New York."

"Here? New York is nice and all, but it's no Australia. I miss the wilds, Sam. New York's craziest beast is a disease ridden rat."

"Have you seen the size of those rats? They're the size of dogs!"

Cade frowned and started to fiddle with her charm bracelet. "I'm just not fit for the city. I like it, but I miss the stars and the sound of animals in the night."

Sam studied Cade with a sorrowful expression. He knew she missed home, but he never knew how much. Was living here that hard for her? They had just started attending college together last fall and Cade was loving the vast amount of opportunities presented to her for furthering her knowledge.

Sam sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I have to get to class, but I'll catch up with you later, okay? Don't run away to the wilderness while I'm gone."

Cade smiled up at him as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and left to go to class.

* * *

Sam nervously held a large box out in front of him. It rattled in his hands and more than once the lid almost popped off.

"Would you stay still? I promise you'll get out soon." Sam pushed the lid back down and set the box next to his desk. "Just stay quiet until Cade gets here." The box stilled and Sam sighed with relief.

There was a knock on the door. Sam opened it with a smile to find Cade standing on the other side. He stepped aside to let her in.

"Ready to lose again?" Cade smirked at him.

Sam rolled his eyes. "You got lucky last time."

It was date night, and date night for them meant trivia competitions. The winner got one of Cade's delicious imported Australian candies and a kiss from the looser. It may not have been the most romantic of things, but they had fun together and that was all that mattered to them. They liked to test each other's knowledge and occasionally threw in a challenge to keep it interesting

Cade plopped down on Sam's bed in his small dorm room. She pulled out her cell phone and opened up a trivia game. "What is the atomic number of plutonium?"

Sam sat down next to her. "Ninety-five."

Cade shook her head. "Ninety-four."

"Ninety-five," Sam insisted.

"Ninety-four." Cade tapped the screen on her phone. It dinged indicating that she was correct. "You're off to a bad start here, Sam." She reached into her bag and pulled out a TimTam, one of her favourite candies from back home. "Pay up." Cade winked at him.

Sam smiled and rolled his eyes. Laughing, he gave her a lingering kiss.

"We need more date nights." Cade grinned and skipped to the next question on her phone.

"We do this once a week."

"I know." Cade paused and looked to Sam. "But it's the only time I can get you to kiss me."

Same frowned. "That's not true."

"Yes it is. You're so shy in public. Not that I'm trying to change who you are or anything, but a few extra kisses wouldn't hurt now and again."

Sam pushed his glasses up his nose. "Sorry. I didn't think it bothered you that much."

Cade sighed. "It just seems like you're ashamed or something."

"What? No! I like being with you!" Sam grabbed Cade's hand.

"Then show it a little more?" Cade offered him a pleading smile.

"I'll try." Sam gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

The box near Sam's desk chose that moment to start jumping around again.

Cade started. "Uh, Sam? Your box is dancing."

"Huh?" Sam turned his head over his shoulder to see what she was talking about. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot." Sam quickly hopped up and went over to his desk. He picked up the dancing box and went back to Cade. "Here. I got you something."

"You did?" Cade looked at him quizzically. Tentatively, she opened the box. Cade's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped with delight. "Is that what I think it is?"

A furry light brown head popped its head out. It blinked its large black eyes at Cade and made high-pitched chattering sounds.

"Sam!" Cade beamed and clapped her hands. "It's adorable! I can't believe you got me a wallaby! Where did you even find one?"

Sam smiled. Cade's happiness made his heart flutter. "There's an exotic pet shop nearby. I saw him in the window and I knew you had been missing home lately, so…"

Cade laughed and picked up the wallaby. "He's perfect! The zoos here don't even have wallabies. I haven't seen one since I lived down in Australia!"

"Yeah, well, you know…" Sam sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "You seemed so homesick earlier. I figured this would help."

Cade scratched behind her new pet's ears. "I wasn't homesick. I just want to get out of the city more often."

"Maybe you and I should go camping sometime?"

Cade burst out laughing. "You? Camping? You wouldn't last a day."

Sam crossed his arms. "Yes I would."

"No you wouldn't."

"You also thought that I couldn't be spontaneous. I proved you wrong with that didn't I?"

Cade giggled. "Yes, yes you did."

"So what are you going to call him?" Sam nodded to the baby wallaby. It was now sitting on Cade's lap, nuzzling her.

"Tesla. After the greatest inventor ever." Cade winked at him.

It was an old argument for them. Edison versus Tesla. Sam was a fan of Edison's work, while Cade favored tesla. They debated back and forth on the topic often.

Sam wasn't in the mood for debating. He wanted Cade to stay happy for as long as possible. "I think it's a great name."

He tilted Cade's chin up to him. He pulled her in for a deep kiss. Letting his hand run through her hair. Maybe this wouldn't make up for Sam not kissing Cade enough in public, or even for Cade being stuck in the city, but it was a good place to start.

* * *

**A/N - This is a little Sam/Cade one-shot I've been meaning to write for a while. Especially since their relationship hasn't gotten much of the spotlight yet in my series. Wallabies have a long lifespan, so Tesla will be around for a while. ;)**

**Let me know what you thought by leaving a review! A favourite would be very much loved! Follow me for more! And thanks for reading!**


	18. Mama's Boy

**Mama's Boy**

Anna knew she had the best boyfriend ever. Skyler always had a way of making her feel special and loved in a way no one else could do. Like tonight for example. Skyler had cooked her dinner, fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, her favourite meal. Now they were walking through Central Park hand in hand, gazing up at the stars together. Sydney had Joe distracted back at their house in Brooklyn, so Anna was free to spend the night with Skyler at the penthouse. Anna couldn't wait to get back and spend the entire night with her boyfriend. She knew just how she wanted to spend it too.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Skyler smiled down at her.

"Remind me?" Anna winked at him.

Skyler chuckled. "Well, I almost love you as much as I love myself, but you're a close second."

Anna laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'll take it. I mean, you only rank third on my list of favourite people."

"Third? I don't even get second?"

Anna shook her head. "Nope."

Skyler placed a hand over his heart. "I'm not going to lie, that hurts, Anna. I might start balling right here, right now."

"Cry baby." Anna stuck her tongue out at him.

"Come here." Skyler wrapped his arms around Anna's waist and pulled her close.

"What are you doing?" Anna giggled.

"I wanna kiss you." Skyler showered her with light kisses, tickling Anna in the process. Anna squealed and tried to get away, but Skyler held on tight.

When he finally let go, Anna was gasping for air. Her face flushed when she looked up at Skyler. "How about we head back to your place? I have something I want to show you."

"Oh?" Skyler gave her a curious look. "What is it?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Anna tried pulling Skyler into his bedroom, but he resisted. "Anna, what are you doing?"

"I told you, I want to show you something." Again, she tugged on his hand, but Skyler continued to hold back.

"In my bedroom? What are you going to show me in there that you can't show me downstairs?" He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms.

"Just trust me okay? I promise you'll like it."

Skyler sighed and shook his head. "Anna, no. I know what you're trying to do."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do." Skyler dropped his arms and placed his hands on Anna's upper arms. "Anna, I love you, and you know I think you're a wonderful girl, but we are not ready for this."

"But you just said that you loved me." Anna pouted.

"Yes, but there's a lot more to it than that." Skyler bent down to kiss Anna on the forehead. "A lot of close people in my life have had kids prematurely. I don't want to risk that happening to us. Okay?"

Anna crossed her arms. "It's called protection, Skyler."

"Accidents can still happen. No birth control method is one hundred percent." Skyler frowned. "Please, don't be mad at me for this. I love you, but there are other things we can do together. So, how about we just cuddle and talk a little, and then go to bed?"

Anna sighed and frowned. "Fine."

"One day, we'll be married and then we can do whatever you want."

Anna blinked. "Married?"

Skyler smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't change my whole life around for a girl I wasn't going to marry one day."

Anna blushed. "Then what does it matter if we wait until marriage if you plan on marrying me anyway?"

Skyler's smile vanished. "Anna… you need to listen to me. It's safest to wait."

Anna folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

* * *

The door to Skyler's bedroom door flew open with a crash.

"Skyler, we have a problem. Your- Anna?" Sydney's bewildered look turned into one of confusion.

Anna huffed and crossed her arms. "We didn't do anything last night. Trust me, I tried."

Skyler ran a hand over his face. "Anna…"

"You two are going to have to have your lover's quarrel later," Sydney interrupted. "We have a bigger issue."

Skyler sighed. "What is it, Syd?"

"Your mom is on her way up."

Anna had never seen anyone react so fast in her life. Skyler was out of the bed in the blink of an eye. "What do you mean, my mom is on her way up?" Skyler hurried around the room and into his closet. Anna could hear the clang of clothes hangers as he shuffled clothes around.

"I mean, that your mother just called to inform me that she has decided to pay us a surprise visit and is currently in the elevator on her way up here." Sydney pointed to Anna. "We need to hide you."

"What? Why?" Anna was very confused by the whole situation.

Skyler cursed as he ran out of his closet and immediately into the bathroom. He had changed into a very nice looking outfit. He wore a light grey button down with black dress pants. Anna looked over and noticed that Sydney was wearing a nice outfit as well. She had on a navy skater skirt with a black belt, a white blouse with a large v-shaped ruffle down the front, and black strappy stilettos. Her blouse was buttoned all the way to her neck, causing Sydney to awkwardly tug on it before returning to scratching her wrists.

Anna could count on one hand the amount of times she had seen Sydney wearing a skirt outside of a performance. Seeing her in one now, Anna knew something was up.

Skyler came bustling out of the bathroom with his hair perfectly styled in his usual done-up swish. "Hide her where? My mom is going to want a full house tour. She'll want to see everything."

Anna frowned. "Why do I need to be hidden? Can't I just meet Skyler's mom?"

"No!" Sydney and Skyler answered at the same time.

"Why not? You've met my parents." Anna stood and put her hands on her hips. "What are you not telling me?"

"My mother is highly… particular about who I associate with. You'll get to meet her sometime, but now is not that time. Please, just stay hidden." Skyler grabbed Anna's hands. "I promise I will tell you more later when she leaves."

Anna scowled. "No, I-"

"_Hello_!" A sing-song voice rang up from downstairs. "My little _hoku_? Where are you?"

Anna moved to head out the door, but Skyler held her back. "Anna, if you meet my mother now, things will not go well. Just stay here and if you hear us coming, hide in the closet." Skyler went out the door. "Coming, mama!"

Sydney turned to Anna before she left. "I'm so sorry about this, Anna. But trust me when I say this is for the benefit of your and Sky's relationship." She left, shutting the door behind her, and Anna was alone.

* * *

"Mama!" Skyler greeted his mother with open arms.

"My _hoku_!" Skyler's mom wrapped Skyler up in a tight hug. "Now, I know my little visit probably caught you off guard, and I'd hate to get in the way of any important time agent business, but I haven't seen you in so long. I missed my baby." She planted kisses on Skyler's cheeks, leaving lipstick marks.

"Oh, it's fine. Syd and I were planning on taking the day off anyway."

"Well, what about the rest of the week?"

Skyler forced a smile. "The rest of the week? You're staying the whole week?"

"I want as much time with my _hoku_ as possible." Skyler's mom pulled Skyler in for another embrace.

Skyler turned to see Sydney walking down the stairs. "Syd, did you hear? My mother is staying the whole week with us."

"Only if it's okay that is. I know you two are on an important mission here, but I promise to stay out of your way." Skyler's mom turned to Sydney and held open her arms. "Don't think I forgot about my future daughter-in-law."

"Sky and I are just friends, Mrs. Maka." Sydney smiled and returned the hug. "It's so nice to see you again."

"You too, Kikenei." She patted Sydney on the cheeks. "So _nani_… And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Raelyn?"

"Excuse me?" Anna stood at the foot of the stairs. She had gotten dressed in a nice outfit similar to what Sydney and Skyler were wearing. She waited patiently with a smile on her face. "You must be Skyler's mother." Anna walked forward and held her hand out. "I'm Anna."

Skyler cringed and mumbled under his breath, "Oh no."

Mrs. Maka frowned. "And who are you?"

Sydney jumped in and threw her arm around Anna's shoulder. "Anna is my friend. She was just on her way out. Right, Anna?"

Anna shrugged Sydney's arm off. "I'm not Sydney's friend."

"Ouch." Sydney frowned.

"I mean, I am her friend, but I'm more than that. I'm-"

"A fellow time agent, here to give us extra help on our case." Skyler stood between Anna and his mother.

"Time agent?" Anna looked back and forth between Sydney and Skyler. "What are you-"

"But she has to leave to get back to the academy. Skyler, why don't you see Anna out while I give your mom a tour of the place?" Sydney gave Skyler a pointed look.

Anna crossed her arms, annoyed at being interrupted so many times and being kept in the dark about what was going on. Skyler grabbed her elbow and led her towards the elevator. The minute the doors closed, Anna turned on Skyler.

"What was that?" Anna's hands clenched into fists.

Skyler sighed. "Anna, please…"

"Don't 'Anna, please' me. I want to know what's going on here." Anna put her hands on her hips. "Time agent? I thought you quit all that when you moved here?"

"I did… but my mom doesn't know that."

"What?" Anna stared at him in shock.

"I know. I know. It's bad. I messed up." Skyler ran his hand through his hair. "But, my mom has always been so proud of me choosing to become a time agent and all the progress I made with it. When she found out I had started training under a god, well, she was so impressed and happy. When I decided that I was giving it all up to move to New York to be with you, I just couldn't bring myself to tell her. So instead, I told her that Syd and I were temporarily moving to New York to work on a special Time Agent case… and that's the lie we've been living ever since."

Anna glared at Skyler. "So just tell her the truth. She's your mother. She definitely seems like she loves you. I'm sure she'll be okay with it."

"I… Anna you don't understand."

"Apparently not. Maybe you should tell me the full story." Anna tapped her foot impatiently.

"I can't disappoint my mom, Anna. Dad left her, and my brother never had any aspirations to do something great with his life. She's put so much faith into me. I can't take that away from her. If she found out I left the Warp Academy for some girl, she'd never forgive me."

"Some girl?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware I was just _some girl_."

"That's not what I meant," Skyler backtracked. "You know you mean the world to me. My mom won't see that though. I meant what I said earlier about her being particular about who I'm with, especially girlfriends."

"She seemed awfully fond of Sydney. Future daughter-in-law?" Anna quoted Skyler's mom. "Is that also part of this elaborate lie?"

"No! She thinks Sydney is still an all-powerful goddess. She didn't like Sydney at first, but when she found that out and that she was training me, she changed her opinion. We tell her every time that we're just friends, but she ignores us."

Anna frowned. "And putting up with all this is worth it? Skyler, you have to tell her the truth. You can't keep living this lie. I can't be with you if you keep living this lie."

Skyler flinched, but before he could respond the elevator doors opened and Anna stepped out. She turned to him with anger and hurt in her eyes. This weekend had not gone how she had planned it to. "I hope you do the right thing, Skyler. Call me later."

Skyler reached out a hand to stop her, but the elevator doors closed in his face and sent him back to the penthouse.

* * *

"So the good news is that I convinced her to only stay for the weekend. The bad news is, she wants to spend every minute of it with you."

Skyler was only half-listening to Sydney's words. His mind was on Anna and their earlier conversation. _I can't be with you if you keep living this lie_…

Skyler watched as his mom settle into his room. They didn't have a guest room and Skyler couldn't make his mom sleep on the couch, so he had offered up his room instead. He knew Anna was right, but he also knew he couldn't let his mom down.

Skyler groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Anna hates me."

Sydney scoffed. "I highly doubt that. She's as crazy about you as you are about her. She may be mad, and she has every right to be, but she does not hate you."

"She's going to break up with me if I don't come clean with my mom. I know I have to do it, I just don't know how to tell her."

"Just be honest. This lie is exhausting. And what are you going to tell her in a year when we're still here? I doubt she'll believe that we're still on a temporary assignment. Take her out someplace nice, make her happy, and then tell her the truth that she deserves to know. It's that easy."

"I'm sorry. Remind me again how eager you were to tell Joe about JJ?" Skyler crossed his arms and frowned at Sydney.

"Don't change the subject." Sydney looked away. "Look, you need to tell your mom the truth. It'll be better for everyone. Do it for Anna."

Sydney walked away and Skyler bit his lip in thought. "Hey, mama? How would you like to go somewhere nice for lunch today?"

* * *

Anna honestly had no idea what to expect when Skyler texted her saying he had sent a town car over for her. She'd only been home for an hour when she received the message saying he was taking her and his mom out to lunch at Keens Steakhouse, one of his and Sydney's favourite restaurants. Anna didn't much care for the ambiance of the place, but it was easily the best steakhouse in New York.

Anna meant what she said this morning about not wanting to be with Skyler if he continued this lie. She loved him with all her heart, but what he was doing wasn't right. She had been so mad and hurt when Skyler first explained everything to her. She had thought about telling Joe about it, but decided Skyler didn't need to be punished that badly.

She watched the city skyline pass by through the window as the car headed into Manhattan. Had Skyler chosen his mom over her? She couldn't blame him for putting family first, but the idea still stung. Anna hoped for the opposite, that he had decided to come clean to his mother. Anna didn't know what that meant for her. Skyler seemed concerned about his mother's opinion of her. Anna wanted to make a good impression, especially since Skyler had mentioned marriage last night.

The car pulled up to the steakhouse and Anna stepped out. She had changed into a nicer outfit. Skyler and Sydney were definitely trying their best to look good this morning, and Anna wanted to follow suit. Her pale pink sundress fell to her knees and Anna made sure to pick a dress that didn't show any cleavage. She hoped she looked nice enough for Skyler's mom, even if she had only been called here to be told that Skyler was sticking to his Time Agent story.

She walked into the restaurant to see Skyler and his mother sitting at a table in a far corner. They had been talking with their heads lowered, but when Anna entered the room, Skyler looked up and waved her over. Even from across the room, Anna could see Skyler's mom stiffen.

Anna took a deep breath, her heart pounding. "Here we go."

The walk across the floor to their table felt longer than it actually was. Skyler stood and offered her one of his signature lopsided smiles when she arrived which did nothing to soothe Anna's already speeding heartbeat. Anna forced a big grin.

"Mama, this is Anna. The girl I told you about." Skyler put his arm around Anna's shoulders.

Mrs. Maka huffed and glared at Anna. "So you're the harlot that seduced my _hoku_ and convinced him to abandon his hopes and dreams."

"Mama!" Skyler shook his head and Anna's smile dropped. "I told you, my decision to leave the Academy was entirely my own. Yes, Anna was the reason I left, but she had no idea that I would leave for her."

Skyler's mom scanned Anna up and down. "I don't see what's so special about her, just some average mortal girl."

"She means a lot to me, mama, and I'd appreciate it if you'd at least try to like her." Skyler sat down and grabbed his mom's hand.

"Does she even know what the Warp Academy is? Has she even heard of time travel?"

"Yes." Anna spoke up for the first time and angrily crossed her arms. "My brother happens to be the current owner of _The Book_ and I've time traveled plenty of times with it. Last week I warped to Mesopotamia to study for a history test. And I've heard about the Academy. I know all about how Skyler used to want to be a Time Agent. Emphasis on _used to_." Anna glared at Mrs. Maka, all attempts of making a good impression thrown out the window.

Skyler's mother blinked. "A girl with spirit… you should learn to respect your elders."

Skyler groaned. "Mama…"

"Tell me, why did you give up on being a Time Agent for her? Is she pregnant? It would certainly explain her figure."

"She's not pregnant, and there's nothing wrong with her figure. She's beautiful as she is. We met almost two years ago and I fell in love with her instantly." Skyler's eyes drifted to Anna. "I knew I had to move here to be with her, and I haven't regretted it once. She's my everything. And I love my new job. I'm having more fun now than I ever would have had as a Time Agent."

Mrs. Maka looked at Skyler sympathetically. "Oh _hoku_, if you didn't want to be a Time Agent anymore, you could have just told me. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. However, doing it all for some girl that I have yet to be impressed with is not okay. I only want what's best for you, and she is not it. You can't let yourself be pushed around by a woman."

"That's exactly what you're doing," Anna mumbled under her breath.

Skyler shot Anna a look that told her to be quiet. "Mama, you said you want me to be happy, and Anna makes me happy. Even if you never accept her, I will always love her and want to be with her."

Skyler's mother frowned. "You're young and your heart is wild. Tomorrow you could love someone else entirely. One day you'll find a suitable girl." She stood up and grabbed her purse. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've had enough excitement for one day. I'll be waiting in the car." She quickly left the restaurant.

"She seemed nice." Anna dropped her arms and turned to her boyfriend. "I'm guessing that's not how you wanted this to go?"

Skyler laughed. "Are you kidding? That went a lot better than I thought it would. I think she likes you."

Anna's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. She called me a harlot!"

"But she didn't yell at you or try to force you out of my life. I wanted to do this meeting in public for your safety, but I don't think that was even necessary."

"My safety? Just how protective is your mom?"

Skyler rubbed the back of his neck. "She just loves me very much is all."

"Did you really mean all that? About always loving me no matter what?" Anna stared at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course." Skyler grinned and placed his arm around her waist. "I wouldn't have told her the truth if I wasn't willing to do anything to make this relationship last. She'll warm up to you eventually. I'll make sure she does." He kissed her on the temple. "You are future family after all."

Anna giggled and she felt her cheeks heat up. "I guess that means I have to warm up to her too?"

Skyler chuckled. "Yes, I can't have the two most important women in my life at war with each other."

Anna sighed. "Fine, but if she calls me fat again, I won't be so nice."

Skyler grinned. "Deal."

* * *

**A/N - So I'm back from my study-abroad in Costa Rica and I took a few days to recover, but now I'm getting back into writing (and definitely open to requests from you all to help me do it). This is a little AnnaXSkyler chapter I've had planned out for a while. Let me know what you think with a review! Thanks for reading!**

**PS: If you haven't seen it already, I made a special announcement on my profile and I'd really like your opinion on it. So go check that out!**


	19. Welcome to the World: January 1st, 2020

**Welcome to the World: January 1****st**** 2020**

"You don't have to hide your smile, Houdini. I'm sure you're bursting with excitement," Sydney teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about." As Joe said it, he could feel a grin start to appear.

"_Sure_. We'll just pretend that you're not excited to have a son." Sydney smiled down at her almost five-month-pregnant-stomach. Unlike last time, they had opted to learn the baby's gender before the birth, but they had debated on it for a while. So today's prenatal appointment had been a big one.

"I already have a son."

Sydney's smile vanished. "A son you barely know."

Joe glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He reached over from the driver's seat and grabbed her hand. "It's okay. JJ and I will get to know each other better someday."

"You shouldn't have to get to know your own son."

Joe pursed his lips. It still bothered him that Sydney had hid their son from him for eight years, but he had mostly gotten over it. True, things were weird between him and JJ, but Joe felt like they could get over it eventually. At least he hoped they would.

Joe decided it would be best to change the subject. "I'm just worried how Jade will react. You know she won't like that she's getting a younger brother."

"She'll warm up to it. Speaking of Jade, I should call Anna and tell her we'll be there to pick her up soon."

Sydney fished her phone out of her pocket. Before she could make the call, her phone started buzzing. Sydney furrowed her brows. "Odd."

"Who is it?" Joe tried to look over to check the caller ID.

"Dr. Madill. I wonder what she wants."

"Maybe she forgot to tell us something?"

Sydney shrugged and answered her cell. "Hello?"

Joe didn't like the look that appeared on Sydney's face, and the tone she responded with didn't help either.

"Um, yeah. Of course. We'll be there soon." Sydney ended the call and bit her lip.

"What is it?" Joe was having trouble keeping his focus on driving. Something wasn't right.

"She said they found something in the sonogram. They need us to come back." Tears began to well up in Sydney's eyes and she wrapped her arms around her belly. "Joe, she sounded serious. What if something's wrong? I never should have gone into After Time, all that warping, and forcing myself to be in those conditions…"

"Hey, it's going to be okay." But even as Joe said it, he was turning the car around and speeding back to the doctor's office. "You had to go to After Time, you wanted to rescue Jade. You can't blame yourself for that. I'm sure it's nothing." Joe didn't believe his own words.

"She wouldn't have called us back so quickly if it was nothing." Sydney continued to let emotion overwhelm her. "Gods, what have I done?"

"It's not your fault. Whatever this is, we'll get through it. I promise."

"You know I haven't felt the baby move at all. What if he's dead?"

"He's not dead. We just heard his heartbeat an hour ago." Joe quickly pulled into the parking lot and grabbed Sydney's hand before stepping out of the car. "You need to take a deep breath. Your pregnancy brain is getting to you and you're just overreacting. It will be okay."

Normally, Sydney would have yelled at him for accusing her of pregnancy brain and wild emotions, but she was too distraught to argue. She nodded and took a deep breath as suggested. "Let's go."

They hurried into the building and the receptionist redirected them into Dr. Madill's office. The doctor greeted them with a forced smile and gestured for them to sit.

"Mr. and Mrs. Arthur, I'm so sorry to have to call you back like this. I-"

"Skip the spiel, doc. What's wrong with my baby?" Sydney watched Dr. Madill with worried eyes.

"Wrong?" She tilted her head. "I'm sorry, there must be some sort of misunderstanding. Your babies are perfectly fine."

"_Babies_?" Sydney and Joe exchanged bewildered looks. "What are you saying?"

Dr. Madill folded her hands and carefully placed them on her desk. "I assure you, in all my years of doing this, this has never happened before. It has been known to happen with other doctors, and it is rare, but not impossible. Normally, this is something we would have picked up right away."

"I'm hearing a lot of talking, but not a lot of explaining." Sydney frowned. "What is happening?"

"Well… to put it simply… you are having twins."

Sydney and Joe were silent.

"Sometimes the way one twin is positioned, it can block the view of the other one. That's why we didn't know earlier. They must have shifted and so when I was reviewing the images from today's appointment, I noticed something. That something was another baby. I am so, so sorry about all of this."

Sydney clenched her teeth. "You are one of the top OB/GYNs in the country. And you're telling me, it took you eighteen weeks to figure out I'm pregnant with twins?"

"Like I said, it couldn't be helped. Your son was blocking the view of his sibling."

Joe quickly grabbed Sydney's hand before she did something regrettable. He could feel the anger radiating off of her. "At least they're healthy and nothing's wrong. Remember how worried we were? We just get two sons instead of one now."

"Not exactly," Dr. Madill cautiously spoke up. "I'd have to perform another ultrasound to be sure, free of charge of course, but it appears that the twins are fraternal. So you are having a boy as well as a girl."

Sydney groaned and fell back in her chair. "I just want to go home and sleep."

"I understand your displeasure at hearing this news, and I promise to make it up to you. We will waive all fees for your next few appointments. With twins, you will need to have check-ups more frequently."

"Of course I do." Sydney sighed.

"I'd like to have you back in next week for another exam. I'll have my receptionist call you when I have a time available. Thank you for coming back in on such short notice. I promise there will be no more errors for the rest of this pregnancy."

"There better not," Sydney grumbled.

They went back out to the car and started the drive home.

"At least when we tell Jade she's having a brother, we can soften the news by telling she's also getting a sister."

Joe laughed. "I'm sure she'll appreciate that."

"What do you think about Devon?"

"Who?" Joe glanced at Sydney as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"As a name. I was thinking about it for a boy, but now that we're having a girl too… I don't know, I kind of like it for a girl."

Joe thought about it. "It's alright I guess. Not too great."

"Can you think of anything better?"

Joe bit his lip. "No, at least not for a girl. I can think of a lot names for a boy that I like."

"Hmm… How about this, I pick out a name for the girl, and you pick out a name for the boy. We won't reveal them to each other until they're born. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

One of Joe's favourite things about being married was getting to wake up next to his wife every day, which was a rare occasion given that Sydney was normally an early riser. She was currently snuggled up into his side. The largest bed Joe had ever seen, and they only took up a small area in the center.

Joe wrapped his arms around Sydney and pulled her in close. He kissed the top of her head and was greeted with the lovely scent of vanilla, easily his favourite smell. He slowly let one of his hands roam up under the front of her shirt. He loved that she slept without a bra on. He didn't know how he could have ever dated a girl with a small chest.

"Do all men wake up this lustful? Or is it just you?" She murmured into his chest.

Joe let out a low chuckle. "Not all men get to wake up with a beautiful woman like you."

Sydney rolled away, effectively putting herself out of Joe's reach. He frowned and scooted closer to her. He softly kissed the back of her neck. "Come on, you know you want to."

"I'm not in the mood, Joe."

Joe rolled onto his back and mumbled under his breath, "You haven't been in the mood for months."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Joe slid out of bed and went into their bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face to clear his mind. His eyes drifted up to his reflection in the mirror. He focused on the Warp Wizard mark on his chest glowing back at him in the dim lighting, mocking him.

_This is all your fault_, Joe thought. He had tried reaching out to Isis several times since they had returned from After Time. _My marriage was fine until you came along and ruined it all._

No response. Why should he expect anything else?

Joe groaned and walked back out the master bedroom. Sydney was gone and the door to the hallway was wide open. He debated whether or not he wanted to go out and find her. He was frustrated to say the least with their lack of lovemaking lately, but he couldn't blame Sydney for everything. They had had a trying year with Jade and Anna's kidnapping, Joe learning about JJ, Anna getting pregnant (Joe was still angry about that), and finding out that Sydney was pregnant with twins despite being told otherwise for five months.

It was hard switching to a 'less active' love life, especially when he was use to a more passionate relationship. He'd give anything to be eighteen again. No kids to worry about, just spending every minute he could with his amazing girlfriend. Sometimes he still couldn't believe a guy like him got a girl like her.

Maybe they should take a vacation. Somewhere fun where they could forget about everything for a while, like Las Vegas. Anything to get their relationship back on track.

He sighed, resigning to head downstairs to check on Sydney. He found her sitting at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly stirring a bowl of cereal.

"You know you're supposed to eat it, right?" Joe smirked at her and leaned against the open archway frame.

"Twenty-six weeks."

Joe paused. "What?"

"Twenty-six weeks and they haven't moved once."

_Oh_. Joe moved to sit down next to her. Ever since they had gotten back from After Time, Sydney had been worried that the pregnancy had been affected in a negative way. At any sign of problems with the twins, Sydney practically had a panic attack and started hating herself for going into After Time.

Joe ran his hand through her soft hair. "We just had an appointment last week. Dr. Madill said everything was great."

"Dr. Madill also said we were only going to have one kid."

"You have to believe that everything will be okay. All this added stress won't help anything."

"I'm not stressed."

"Really?" Joe nodded to her hands. During their conversation she had started to scratch her wrists, threatening to break skin. He reached over and grabbed Sydney's hands. He pulled her left hand to his mouth and gently kissed her ring finger. The black ink was identical to the one on his ring finger, except where she had a J, he had an S.

Sydney yawned and leaned into Joe's shoulder. "I just want them to be okay."

"I know." Joe's hand went back to running through her hair. "How about you go back to bed for a little bit? We both know how early this is for you anyway."

Sydney yawned again in response.

Joe laughed softly. He helped her stand up and walked with her back to the bedroom.

Sydney gladly curled up under the covers. "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad?" Joe sat down on the bed with her. "Why would I be mad at you? Whatever is happening with the twins, it is not your fault."

"Not that, even though it is." Sydney shifted in bed so that she could look up at Joe. "I'm a terrible wife."

Joe couldn't help but laugh. "What? No you're not. You're an amazing wife. I love being married to you. Everyday has been wonderful and I haven't looked back once."

"You didn't seem that way this morning."

"What are you-" Joe paused and mentally cursed. "You heard me."

"You've never been good at being quiet. Something we'll probably need to work on in your self-defense lessons." Sydney sat up and wrapped her arms around herself. "I know I haven't exactly been fulfilling my wifely duties."

Joe laughed again. "You're only duties are to love and care for our children and to emotionally love me. Yes, it's frustrating that we haven't been together in a while, but I'm happy as long as you are." He pushed her bangs away from her face, exposing her scar. "Are you happy?"

Sydney shrugged and placed a hand over her stomach. "I'd be happier if I could feel a kick or two."

Joe placed his hand over hers. "You will. Just give them time."

"You promise you're not mad?"

"Sexually frustrated maybe, not mad."

"I know I've said it before, but I promise I'll make it up to you." Sydney paused and laid back down, her eyes closed. "Maybe when I'm not so tired."

"It's okay. I'll hold you to it this time." Joe bent over and gently pressed his lips against hers. "Our show will go on, Fosse. I promise you that."

* * *

Sydney hated being pregnant. She could handle the nausea, the constant need to pee, the weird food cravings, and even the wild emotional fluctuations. What she could not handle however, was the constant exhaustion, but not matter how tired she got, she could not get comfortable enough to fall asleep. The doctor insisted that sleeping on her left side would be better for the twins, something about improved blood circulation. The problem with that was that Sydney slept on her right side normally, and her left side was just not as cozy.

She sighed and glanced at the clock. 7:27 glowed back at her. Sydney gave up on trying to go back to sleep. She gently slid out of Joe's arms in bed and paced over to the doors leading out to the balcony off of their bedroom. The chilly winter air greeted her as she stepped outside.

She wrapped her arms around herself, already regretting not grabbing a sweatshirt. But the cold air helped clear her mind so that she could think, and if there was one thing Sydney needed, it was time to think. Because if she was going to be completely honest with herself, the pregnancy wasn't the only thing keeping her awake at night.

She absentmindedly rubbed her swollen stomach and stared at the sunrise just starting to peak out over the horizon.

Sydney never wanted kids. She never saw herself as the mother type. She never thought someone like her would be capable of raising and caring for another human being. Then JJ had happened, then Jade, and now here she was, one week overdue with twins.

And their father was a Warp Wizard.

Sydney had been taught her whole life that Warp Wizards were the enemy and to kill any and all Warp Wizards on sight. That they were untrustworthy, cruel, and evil. But Joe was none of those things. He was kind, caring, and could always find a way to make her happy.

She closed her eyes and tried to bring up old memories, something she usually went out of her way to avoid. She quickly hit a mental wall, preventing her from remembering anything about what the Warp Wizards had done to her. Same as always. A few flashes of disturbing images passed through her mind, but nothing she could fully make out. A familiar overwhelming sense of panic built up inside her accompanied by a sharp migraine. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down, but to no avail.

What had happened to her?

She wasn't surprised when she felt Joe wrap his arms around her from behind and slowly roam over her pregnant belly. He always knew when she needed comfort. He was her human anxiety pill. But what was she supposed to do when the cure was causing the disease?

She glanced over her shoulder to look at him and inwardly groaned. Why did he have to sleep shirtless? His Warp Wizard mark was glowing like usual right above his heart. It felt like Isis was mocking her every time she saw it. As if it was her way of saying 'You think this belongs to you? Guess again.'

"You're up early." Joe placed feather-light kisses across her shoulders. "Well, early for your pregnant-self. You okay? Twins fighting again?"

Sydney shook her head and placed her hands over his. "They've been quiet lately."

"I'm sure they're fine. Probably just preparing for the big day." His hands continued to caress her stomach.

Sydney frowned. The twins had been slow to quicken and it had been something that bothered her for a while. She was afraid After Time had affected her pregnancy too much and something was wrong with the twins. She didn't feel their first movements until she was almost seven months pregnant, but when they started moving it had been full force. For a week, it felt as if they were doing a tap dance routine.

"That's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is it?" Joe shifted so that he could stare into her eyes.

"I'm already a week overdue," Sydney lied. "And I'm still getting bigger. At this rate I'll never get my figure back."

Joe chuckled. "You could be the fattest women in the world, and you'd still be the most beautiful."

Sydney smiled softly. "Thanks, but we both know how appearance based my job is. Not to mention how physically demanding it is."

"You know you'll be back to your fit self in no time. By this time next week, we will have two more beautiful children in our lives."

"And I'll be even more exhausted than I am now."

Joe smiled and shook his head. "Come on, let's get back inside. I'm surprised you came out here at all. I know how much you hate the winter weather."

"You just want me to make you breakfast," Sydney teased.

"That'd be nice too." Joe winked at her. "Or maybe we could go back to bed? Maybe we'll get lucky and induce labor."

Sydney laughed. "Nice try. As much as I would like to get these babies out of me, I don't want to force them out before they're ready." She brushed her lips against his. "Go check on Jade and I'll start breakfast."

"Okay. And don't worry. They'll be here soon, Fosse." Joe left, but not before giving her a wink and a kiss.

Sydney sighed and rubbed her stomach. "You are going to come out soon, right? I don't know how much more of this I can take. You better be here before my birthday. That is not a present I would appreciate."

* * *

Sydney groaned and glared at her large belly. "Get out of me!"

Joe laughed and shook his head. "Yes, yell at them. That's how this works."

"I've been in labor for eight hours! This is ridiculous! Jade didn't last this long!" Sydney huffed and angrily crossed her arms. "And we're missing all the New Year's Eve celebrations."

"It's not like this is the last New Year's Eve ever. Besides, the doctor said if they're the first babies born in the new year, we get a year's worth of diapers. You know we're going to need them."

"At this rate they won't be born for another five years." Sydney drummed her fingers on her stomach.

Jade came bouncing into the room with Joe's mom following behind. Jade ran up to Sydney. "Mommy! How's my baby sister?"

"You're sister _and_ brother are being very stubborn and refusing to come into this world."

"Wonder who they get that from," Joe teased. He smiled at his mother. "Hey, mom."

"Hello, honey. Your father called. He sends his love and wishes he could be here."

"And where is the famous architect at this time?"

"Greece. He's studying a scroll that allegedly confirms the existence of the Greek gods and goddesses. I'm sure nothing will come of it. Those are just myths and legends, nothing substantial."

Sydney and Joe exchanged a knowing look. "Right. Anyway, I-" Sydney clenched her teeth and waited for the contraction to subside.

Jade scowled. "Bad sister. Stop hurting my mommy!"

"It's okay, sweetheart." Sydney gave Jade a convincing grin. "It just means they're almost ready to get here."

"In that case, Jade and I will head back out." Joe's mom held her hand out for Jade to take.

"But I wanna stay with mommy." Jade clung to Sydney's side.

"Go with your grandmother, Jade. When you come back, you'll get to see your new baby sister and brother."

Jade reluctantly went over to her grandmother. "Just my sister. You can give the boy back."

* * *

"Riley _Harry_ Arthur? As in Harry Houdini? Really Joe?" Sydney cradled her newborn daughter in her arms while Joe held their son. The girl had been born first and the boy followed about fifteen minutes later.

Joe shrugged. "Well you let me pick the name."

"I like it." Sydney smiled at him. She had a layer of sweat on her face and her messy hair was sticking to her forehead. "It's not as good as Alexis Estella Arthur though. Plus Lexi is a cute nick name."

"I have to admit, it is a lovely name. I don't know if I would say that it's better than Riley…"

Sydney rolled her eyes and focused her attention on her children. The doctor had called them mirror image fraternal twins and it was easy to see why. While all their physical features were the same, they were flipped. Riley had a sky blue left eye and a green right eye. Lexi's eyes were the opposite. They both had light blonde hair and fair skin. Unlike Jade and JJ, these two had taken after Sydney.

"At least we get free diapers for a year. Alexis was born at midnight exactly. I almost thought they were going to have different birthdays."

Sydney bit her lip. "I was hoping they'd be here yesterday. Babies born on a new year are special."

"What do you mean?"

Jade came running into the room before Sydney could respond. "Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?" Jade was bouncing up and down in her spot.

Joe's mom quickly appeared in the doorway. "Sorry. She got excited and decided to run ahead."

"It's fine." Sydney smiled down on Jade. "Jade, meet your new sister, Alexis."

"Hello." Jade stood on her tiptoes to look down on her sister.

"And your new brother, Riley." Joe leaned forward and carefully held Riley out.

"Bye." Jade pushed Riley away.

"Jade," Sydney scolded her. "We're keeping him. You have a responsibility as an older sister to be nice and care for him."

Jade pouted. "Fine."

"You'll warm up to him. Eventually you'll realize how much you love him and you'll do anything to keep him safe." Joe beamed at his son. "Trust me. It took a while for me to warm up to the idea of having a little sister. Now I don't what I would do without her."

"Well, you wouldn't be an uncle in a couple months." Sydney smirked at him.

"Don't remind me."

"Can I hold her?" Jade begged. "_Please_?"

"Be careful." Sydney gently handed Lexi to Jade. She kept her hands nearby in case Jade slipped up. "Make sure you support her head."

Jade giggled. "I'm going to be the best big sister ever. I promise."

* * *

**A/N - Sorry these chapters aren't in chronological order and are kinda sporadic. I have a lot of chapters I want to write, but I want to publish the chapters that are necessary before I post Dead Debts so I can start working on that. Then I'll continue with the random one-shots and fluff.**

**Anyway, welcome Lexi and Riley! I have a lot planned for these two. ;) And I can't wait to start working on stories with them as well as all the other kids.**

**Tell me what you thought by leaving a review! A favourite and a follow is always appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	20. The Day Every Little Girl Dreams Of

**The Day Every Little Girl Dreams Of**

Anna's fingers drummed on the counter. Two months pregnant and not even married yet. She and Skyler had planned on getting married this winter, but now that had become her due date and Anna did not want to walk down the aisle looking like a bloated cow, but at the same time she knew she wanted to be married before the baby arrived.

She had such plans for their wedding too. Egypt had always been one of her favourite places to time travel to and she wanted to have an Egyptian themed wedding. Gold altar, long ivory curtains, she had it all figured out.

And now it wouldn't happen. All because she had gotten eager and convinced Skyler that waiting until they were engaged to make love was just as good as waiting until they were married. Skyler wanted to wait for this very reason too. Too many people in his life had kids too early. She knew his brother had a kid before he got married, but now she knew that Sydney had too.

Skyler was in shock when he first heard the news of Anna's pregnancy to say the least. Even so he had reacted better and gotten over it quicker than Joe had. All Anna had to do to let Skyler recover from the news was give him some space and allow him time to adjust. It didn't take long for Skyler to warm up to the idea of having a kid. He loved kids after all. Sydney was still struggling to get Joe to not try to strangle Skyler every time they saw each other.

The elevator doors opened with a ding and Anna looked up to see Skyler walk into their home, which used to be Skyler and Sydney's place. Sydney had the place paid for several years still, so she gave it to Skyler when she moved out. They would have to move out eventually, but until then they planned on enjoying the ritzy penthouse.

Skyler had a sheen of sweat lining his forehead and his stage make-up was faded. Anna actually liked when Skyler got all done up for a show. He was a rare guy who could wear eyeliner well. Anna thought it always made him look like a sexy pirate. Her sexy pirate.

With Sydney being pregnant, Skyler had to take on a little more work in their dance and performance business. Sydney was still able to dance and was still performing eight times a week in _Chicago_, but this week was her last. At four months pregnant, she was showing too much to fit in with the show.

Skyler's eyes lit up like they always did when he saw Anna. He walked over and gave her a quick peck on her temple. "How was your night, gorgeous?" He mumbled into her hair.

Anna giggled. "Great. And then you showed up and ruined it."

He stuck his tongue out at her. "Good. I'd hate for you to be happy." Skyler moved to leave, but Anna grabbed his hand and held on.

"What? Usually you're begging me to shower after a show. Or does all this sweat and stage make-up turn you on?" Skyler teasingly winked at her.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Hardly. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What's up?"

"When do you want to elope?"

Skyler tilted his head. "Elope? I thought you wanted to have a fancy wedding?" Skyler gently brushed Anna's hair away from her face. "Whatever happened to our Egyptian wedding under the stars?"

Anna sighed. "I got pregnant. That's what happened."

Skyler continued to trace his thumb along Anna's cheekbone. "So? You can still have your dream wedding."

"You expect me to walk down the aisle with a baby in my arms?"

Skyler laughed and shook his head. "No, but we don't have to get married this winter. We'll just push the date back." Skyler lightly brushed his lips against Anna's. "I'm willing to wait a year if it means marrying an incredible girl like you."

Anna leaned into Skyler's touch. "I know we could, but I'd rather be married before the baby comes."

Skyler shrugged. "Then we'll move up the date. How does late summer sound? Around August?"

"But wouldn't it be easier to elope?" Anna studied him curiously.

"Probably. But if my fiancé wants to have the wedding she always dreamed of, then she's going to get the wedding she always dreamed of. I don't care when or how we get married. All I know is that I want you to be at your happiest when we do it."

Anna felt her eyes start to brim with tears. She quickly wiped them away. "Stupid pregnancy hormones."

"I hope those are tears of joy." Skyler offered her a small smile.

Anna nodded. "You're really willing to move up the wedding?"

Skyler grinned. "Of course. Anything for you."

"August it is then."

* * *

Anna could barely contain her laughter. "But that's not even the funniest thing! We went to Coney Island with dad when we were little and all day Joe was whining about how he wanted to ride the Wonder Wheel. So we finally get to ride it, and they're loading people on so our car gets stopped at the top. Immediately, Joe starts balling and screaming that he wants to get off. I was four and I was fine with being that high up! So dad waves down to the people and we get off, but because Joe was so upset we had to go home early. I made fun of him for it for years!"

Sydney threw her head back with laughter. "And I will be sure to bring that up at dinner tonight. That reminds me of this time when Skyler was ten and we were working on combat training. Out of nowhere he just starts this high pitched screaming and refuses to continue. I start looking around to see what's wrong when he points to this spot on the floor and tries to run away. At first I don't see anything, but then I looked closer and I see this tiny little spider on the ground. The thing was the size of a thumbtack, but Skyler refused to continue until it was dead and gone. I thought the guy was going to start hyperventilating on me."

"Skyler's scared of spiders?"

"Terrified."

Anna continued to laugh. "Then maybe I should buy fake ones and place them randomly throughout the house."

"Please record it for me."

The girls fell into a fit of giggles. The wedding was a week away and they were treating themselves to a mani-pedi and bonding over sharing stories about the men in their lives. Anna had always been good friends with Sydney but with them both being pregnant together, both with twins no less, they had really gotten close. Sydney had been telling Anna what to expect with the pregnancy and what raising a kid was really like. She also helped soothed any of Anna's worries. She had said Skyler was great with kids too. With all the bonding they had been doing, Anna felt like to two girls had practically become sisters. If anyone overheard their conversations, they would assume they were your typical college girls who gossiped about boys and wild parties. It was nice to have a close girl friend for once.

Since they had moved the wedding up, Anna only had a few months to prepare everything. Luckily, everything had worked out and she would get her dream wedding after all. They decided to keep it small, close family only, but her Egyptian wedding would be grand nonetheless.

Anna sighed in content and leaned back in the massage chair as the nail artist drew Egyptian hieroglyphics on her toes. Her hand drifted over her protruding stomach. Four months pregnant with twins. She was showing a little more than she wanted to be for the wedding, but the dress she had picked out hid it well. Anna could barely contain her excitement. In one week she would be married to a man that was perfect for her. They wouldn't get a honeymoon for another year or two, but Anna was okay with that. Any time she got to spend with Skyler was amazing.

"Sydney?" Anna turned her head and saw Sydney leaning back in a similar position to Anna, eyes closed and hand slowly massaging her stomach.

"Hmm?"

"How does marriage change your relationship?"

"Getting cold feet already?" Sydney chuckled and peeled one eye open to look at Anna. "I don't know. It's weird because the only difference between your relationship before and after a wedding is a piece of paper. But something changes. Your relationship feels… deeper, and there's also a lot more dependency on each other. It's a little frightening to think about and not every day will be great, but if you stick it out through the stormy parts, the good parts seem all the brighter. It's a lot like motherhood actually."

Anna paused and thought for a moment, not quite sure what to say. She knew without a doubt that she loved Skyler. But the idea of being locked into a relationship was a little frightening.

"It's the best decision I've ever made." Sydney was smiling at Anna, as if she could read her thoughts.

The words soothed Anna and she grinned. "I feel the same way."

"So tell me, how did Sky's mom react when she heard the good news?"

Anna couldn't help the groan that came out of her, causing Sydney to laugh.

"That bad, huh? You're still alive though. That's a good sign. I've told you, when she first met me she tried to poison me. I think she really does like you."

"I think the only reason I'm not dead is because I'm carrying her grandchildren." Anna let out a frustrated sigh. "And of course she blames it all on me. Skyler had nothing to do with it."

"He's fifty percent of it." Sydney shook her head. "Sky's mom is just very protective of Skyler. She'll learn to love you eventually."

"I hope so. The last thing I want is for her to ruin my wedding."

"She won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's Skyler's wedding too. And she'd never do anything to hurt her precious baby boy."

* * *

_August 24__th__, 2019_

Anna finished zipping up her dress. She stood in the mirror and took herself in. Maybe it was just the dress, but Anna couldn't believe how mature she looked. There was no trace of the little girl she used to be. Her face had narrowed and about a year ago Anna had decided to chop all of her hair off into a pixie cut. Now her hair always had a stylish mess appearance to it with her thick bangs covering most of her forehead. She had even dyed parts of it pink.

Her dress glittered underneath the lights in her temporary dressing room. She felt like an Egyptian queen. Her bridal gown was traditional white but it was decorated with gold designs from the hem all the way to her neck. The bodice was tight, but the bottom flared out and had a short train in the back.

She wore matching gold jewelry. Her earrings were long and tickled when they brushed against her neck. The bracelets she wore were fitted and covered about three inches of her arms above her wrists. She even had a gold head band in that sat on top of her hair with short strings hanging down over her forehead. She had no necklace on, but the dress didn't need it because of the gold designs that already covered her neckline.

"Skyler is going to be the happiest man alive."

Anna spun around to find Sydney waiting in the doorway and immediately ran up to embrace her. While Anna's dress hid her small stomach well, Sydney was too big to hide it. It felt awkward to hug her now, with both their bellies getting in the way, but Anna held her tight nonetheless.

"You ready? I was told to come get you." Sydney held her out at arm's length and straightened Anna's head band.

Anna nodded, a huge grin on her face. "I've been ready since the day I met Skyler." She looped her arm through Sydney's and together they strode down the hall. Sydney gave her a final hug and wished her good luck before stepping away to go sit down.

The place they had rented out had a large open room that was perfect for Anna's vision. She stepped inside and was delighted to see everything was just how see pictured it.

Long ivory drapes hung from the ceiling and pooled on the floor. The ceiling was black but glowing orbs hung down and sparkled like stars providing romantic lighting for the entire room. Silver, gold, and white pillows littered the ground for the guests to sit on. Candles lined either side of the aisle leading to the altar. The altar was under a large gold pyramid and waiting inside was the man of her dreams.

She tightened her grip on her bouquet composed of sacred blue lilies of the Nile. Skyler had never looked better in her eyes. He was wearing a traditional black tux, but underneath he wore a gold vest and a matching gold bowtie. His hair was flawlessly styled as usual. It was one of her favourite quirks about Skyler. He spent more time on his hair than she did. The thought of it made her giggle as she walked down the aisle.

Anna had no idea what her audience was doing and she didn't care. She only had eyes for Skyler and she knew without a doubt that he only had eyes for her.

Skyler's eyes had widened the moment Anna had stepped in the room. His dark brown eyes that she had stared into so many times were lit up and warm with love for her. Anna had to force herself to walk at a normal pace and not run up to the altar and pull Skyler in for a kiss.

Time slowed down for Anna as she finally reached the altar and grasped Skyler's hands. It was all she could do to not jump into his arms when he squeezed her hands and threw her a wink.

She didn't hear a word their officiant said. She had more important things to focus on. We are gathered here today… blah blah… Though these vows are spoken in a matter of minutes, they are promises that will last a lifetime… blah blah blah… May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.

That caught Anna's attention. She and Skyler momentarily broke eye contact to pull out the rings they had gotten for each other. Skyler lifted Anna's hand and slipped the ring on her finger. It took Anna several moments to take it in. She had never seen a more perfect ring in her life. The band was rose gold and the top bent outward in various directions forming the shape of a flower. The center of the flower held a large diamond that glittered under the lights.

Anna almost forgot to breathe. Skyler gently squeezed her hands again and she came back to the present. She gave him his ring. It didn't dazzle like hers, but she thought it was still nice. It was a simple band made of silver and gold. The outer ring was silver and the middle part was gold. The date was engraved on the inside, not that either of them could ever forget this day.

"Do you Skyler Maka take Anna Arthur, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love forever more?"

"I do." There was no hesitation in Skyler's answer and Anna's heart fluttered.

"Do you Anna Arthur take Skyler Maka, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with him in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love forever more?"

"I do." Like Skyler, Anna did not hesitate with her response.

"Throughout this ceremony, Anna Arthur and Skyler Maka have vowed, in our presence, to be loyal and loving towards each other. They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with words spoken and with the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

Anna and Skyler had kissed a thousand times, maybe more. But today the feeling was new. No longer simply boyfriend and girlfriend, they had become husband and wife and were now sealing the agreement with a kiss. Today, their kiss was a promise.

Anna could feel her heart melting in her chest as Skyler cupped her face to deepen their kiss. She dimly heard the sound of applause and couldn't stop the smile that spread over her cheeks. When they finally broke apart, she saw that Skyler was grinning as well.

"I love you, Anna."

"I love you too, Skyler."

They held hands and together they turned to their families.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Skyler and Anna Maka!"

The last thing Anna thought before heading back down the aisle, hand in hand with her new husband, was how nice her new name sounded.

* * *

**A/N - Just a little announcement that I am leaving soon for a short vacation, but I will try to get a few more chapters out before I leave.**

**Say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Maka! ;) Let me know what you thought about this chapter by leaving a review! Thanks for reading!**


	21. Welcome to the World: January 23rd, 2020

**Welcome to the World: January 23rd****, 2020**

Married life had been fantastic for Anna and Skyler. Anna couldn't understand how some couples struggled and became miserable. They had had no fights, and Skyler was always there to take care of her when she needed it. With the pregnancy, that had happened a lot.

Anna smiled proudly down on her large stomach. She wasn't due for another five weeks, but she was more than ready to welcome her children into the world. It had been quite the shock to learn that they were having twins, but they quickly adapted. Skyler seemed even happier to learn it was two kids instead of one, happier still when they had learned they were both boys.

During her down time, Anna liked to imagine what the twins would look like and how they would behave. She pictured them with Skyler's dark eyes, but hoped they wouldn't grow to be as tall as Skyler was. Skyler practically had to pick Anna up every time they kissed, not that she minded. She hoped they were adventurous like her, but maybe mixed with a little of Skyler's practicality and level-headedness.

It was around mid-afternoon. Right now, Skyler was at rehearsal with Sydney. Though Sydney had yet to be cleared for physical activity, she was still sneaking in dance sessions with Skyler in preparation for their next show. Anna was glad Sydney was back to being involved with their business. Skyler had taken on a lot of the work during her pregnancy and though Anna appreciated how much dancing kept Skyler in shape (a very nice shape she might add), it had taken up a lot of his time when it was just him. Sydney was still busy caring for her twins and Skyler was about to become busy caring for his, but the two seemed unconcerned about not being able to devote all of their time to dance. Anna knew they were planning something big to do in the meantime, but she had no idea what. Whatever it was, the two best friends were keeping it hush-hush.

Anna felt a hard kick in her belly. She laughed and rubbed it. "Did you two have a good nap? You woke mommy up early this morning." Another kick came, this time harder. Anna flinched. "Ow. That one actually hurt. What are you two do- _OW_!"

Anna clutched at her stomach. Something wasn't right. The twins were never this rough. The last one almost felt like a contraction. Anna knew some women experienced minor contractions a week or two before they were due, but Anna wasn't due for another five weeks. The twins couldn't be coming this early. There was no way they were ready yet.

Another wave of pain shot through her, causing Anna to cry out. She had no doubt that it had been a contraction. But why were they so sudden and painful? Weren't contractions something that built up gradually over labor? Anna couldn't be in labor. The twins were only at thirty-two weeks. If they were born now…

Labor or not, Anna knew she needed to get to the hospital. She reached for her cell phone and called Skyler.

"Skyler, you need to meet me at the hospital… Now."

* * *

"I don't know how you expect to get through any rehearsal if you keep this up," Skyler teased Sydney. "Gods know you need the work out." He jokingly poked her pudgy stomach.

"Hey, you know Anna and I are planning on working out together after she gives birth. Trust me, I don't enjoy being fat." Sydney rolled her eyes and continued to rock a fussy Riley in her arms. His mismatched eyes squinted up at her as he made unintelligible whimpering noises. "And I'm sorry my three-week-old children need attention. Don't mock, your life is about to be the same in a month."

"I know. I can't wait." Skyler grinned. He sat down next to Sydney and peered into one of the basinets next to her. Lexi stared back up at him and blinked her large blue and green eyes. He resisted the urge to pick her up, knowing that the moment Lexi saw that Sydney was holding Riley and not her, she'd start bawling.

"You say that, but it's a lot more exhausting than it looks."

"You're forgetting I was there when you were taking care of JJ. I saw all the unglamorous moments. The days when he wouldn't stop crying, the times you almost broke down, but I also saw the moments when you looked at him as if he held the whole world in his eyes. I know exactly what it's like. I am so ready to be a dad."

Sydney shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. "We'll see about that. Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you."

Skyler laughed as he pulled his ringing phone out of his pocket. He smiled when he read the caller ID. "Hello, beautiful wife." Skyler's smile quickly dropped. "What's wrong? Anna... Anna?" Skyler scrambled to stand up and ran around the room to grab all his things.

Sydney watched him with wide eyes. "Sky? What's going on?"

"I don't know. Anna just told me to meet her at the hospital. She didn't sound okay, Syd. I need to go now."

Sydney stood up and joined him. "Go. I'll call Cade to come watch the kids and get Joe. We'll meet you there later. If Anna was able to call you, it can't be that bad."

"I hope you're right." Skyler ran out to his car. He drove much faster than he should have been, but his mind was focused on getting to the hospital in time. Anna had sounded so pained when she had called. Skyler focused on what Sydney had said. If Anna was able to call him, it couldn't be that bad. She was still alive. He had to believe that that was a good sign.

It took a lot longer than he wanted to get to the hospital and his parking job wasn't exactly the greatest, but there were more important things at hand. He rushed into the building and started to barrage the nurses at the desk with a million questions.

"Sir, I'm going to need you to calm down." One of the nurses finally broke through Skyler's panicked babble. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."

Skyler attempted to still his wildly beating heart by taking a deep breath. "I need to find my wife. She told me to meet her here."

"And what's your wife's name, sir?" A nurse typed something into the computer as Skyler told her Anna's name and information.

"Is she okay? Where is she?"

The nurse bit her lip. "She was checked in about ten minutes ago. She is currently in the OR."

"The OR?! Why is she there?"

"Her file doesn't say, sir. My guess is they rushed her in immediately and didn't have time to fill out the report. If you want to know more you'll have to wait until she's out of surgery, which could be an hour or two."

Skyler failed to find any words. He dumbly nodded his head and collapsed in a nearby chair.

An hour. He could wait an hour. Anna was in the hands of the doctors now. He had to trust them. There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

"Skyler? Skyler, talk to me."

Skyler heard Sydney. He could even see her crouched right in front of him. But his mind hadn't processed anything since he had gotten here. Joe and Sydney had gotten there about ten minutes ago. Skyler hadn't said a word to them since they arrived. He felt selfish for not sharing what little information he had. After all, Anna was Joe's sister and Sydney cared a lot for her sister-in-law as well. But Skyler couldn't form any words.

Anna was still in the OR apparently because no one had come out to give him any information and it was driving him insane.

"Skyler, you need to tell me what's going on."

"I don't know," Skyler barely managed to get the words out.

"You don't know?" Sydney tilted her head and furrowed her brow.

"I got here and all they told me was that Anna had been checked in ten minutes before I arrived." Skyler groaned and rubbed his forehead. "She is in the OR and they can't tell me anything else until she's out of surgery, which could take a while apparently."

"Surgery? Why is my sister in surgery?" Joe clenched his fists and glared at Skyler.

"I just told you, I don't know. They can't tell me anything because there's nothing on her file yet." Skyler closed his eyes. Anna was going to be okay. She had to be.

Sydney shot Joe a look telling him to be quiet. "Joe, call your mom and tell her to get down here. I'll stay with Sky." Joe stomped away, grumbling to himself. "He might say some stupid things to you today, but he's just worried about his sister."

"He can say whatever he wants. I don't care. My only concern right now is for Anna." Skyler stared at the doors leading out of the waiting room, willing someone to come through and tell him what was happening to his wife. "What if something happened with the twins? I can't lose my wife and my sons, Syd."

"Anna is with the doctors now. You just have to hope she got here in time." Sydney grasped Skyler's hand. "It will be okay."

"Excuse me, sir. Are you Skyler Maka?" A short balding man with large eyes blinked at them.

"Yes." Skyler shot up. "Are you here to tell me about my wife?"

The tiny man nodded. "Your wife has just entered into recovery. You will be able to visit her soon."

Relief flooded through Skyler. He almost collapsed in the middle of the waiting room.

"Your wife should make a full recovery. However, your sons are looking at about an eighty-five percent chance of survival."

Skyler froze. "What did you just say?"

The doctor paused. "I'm sorry. I forgot that you haven't been informed of anything. Your wife came in about forty-five minutes ago with severe abdominal pain and contractions. She's very lucky she got here when she did. If we weren't able to get her in surgery, she and the twin boys might not have made it."

"What happened?" Sydney spoke for Skyler who was too shocked to form words.

"There's a rare condition called placental abruption that's a little more common in twin pregnancies than single child pregnancies."

Sydney's face paled. Her eyes widened and she nodded her head. "I know what it is. Gods, and you're sure Anna is okay?"

"Yes, but as I said the twins are going to need some care. We had no choice but to do an emergency C-section. They are moderately preterm and their lungs are not fully developed. They are currently being treated in the NICU for a few other concerning issues. I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you if they'll make a full recovery until they have received proper treatment. You can go see them now if you wish."

"I… I…" Skyler's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"Give us a minute." Sydney sent the doctor away and turned to Skyler. "You need to focus on the positive. Anna will be fine and eighty-five percent is a good chance of survival for the twins."

"I missed the birth of my sons." It was all Skyler could say. "I'm a dad, and I missed the birth of my sons."

"There was nothing you could do. You couldn't have predicted that this would happen, Sky. Placental abruption is a very rare occurrence." Sydney forced Skyler to sit back down. "Take a minute to recover and then we can go see your sons."

"Placental abruption. What is that exactly?"

Sydney sighed. "Twin pregnancies have increased risks for both the mother and the children. Premature births are very common and most twins are underweight at birth. There are several conditions and diseases that are more frequent with twins that don't occur with single births. Placental abruption is one of them. Basically, the placenta partially or completely separates from the uterus before the baby's born. It can deprive the baby of oxygen and nutrients, and cause severe bleeding. The doctor was right when he said that if Anna didn't have an emergency C-section, she and your sons could have died."

Skyler ran his hand through his hair, not caring if it was a mess. "I can't believe I missed the birth of my sons."

"Are you ready to go see them? Sky, you have to understand that they're probably in incubators and have feeding tubes and IV lines connected to them."

"I don't care." Skyler stood up. "I need to see my sons."

"You okay to go alone?" Sydney watched as Joe made his way back over to them. "I'm going to have to explain what's going on to Joe and his mom when she gets here."

Skyler nodded. "I'll be fine." He waved the doctor back and had him lead the way to the NICU.

* * *

Anna squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't deal with the world right now. She wanted to remain in this hospital bed by herself forever. Her insides felt like they had been tossed around, and in a sense, they had.

The last hour had been a blur for her. She had called a cab to take her to the hospital and the moment she arrived they had rushed her into surgery. She heard the doctors say that she needed an emergency C-section and after that she had drugged up so much she couldn't remember what had happened no matter how hard she tried. She knew her sons had been taken away, that she was no longer pregnant. She knew what that meant for them.

Anna buried herself in the bed, pushing her thoughts away, desperately wishing that she could escape the world. Maybe she just wasn't meant to be a mother.

"Anna?" A familiar voice filled the room.

Anna lifted her head and stared blankly at her husband. She could see the joy on Skyler's face as he realized she was alive and well. If only he knew.

"_Oh, Anna_." Skyler practically flew to her side. He grabbed her hands and showered her with kisses. "I'm so glad you're alright."

Anna silently pulled her hands away. "I shouldn't be allowed to be alright."

Skyler frowned and tried to reach for Anna, who only pulled away. "Anna, what are you talking about? It's amazing that you're doing well, and our sons are-"

"I know exactly how they are." Dead. Or almost dead. Either way it didn't matter. Anna had failed as a mother without even having the chance to try.

"No, I went and saw them. They have a few machines hooked up to them, but they look great. The doctor said they have an eighty-five percent chance, but it was looking really good for them and that they should be just fine." Skyler managed to grab Anna's hands again. "They look beautiful, Anna. We're officially parents."

Should be. Those words rang through Anna's mind. Eighty-five percent was a lot higher than she had thought, but there was still that fifteen percent to worry about.

"I took pictures of them." Skyler reached for his phone. "You have to see them."

"No." Anna pushed Skyler's phone away and refused to see the photos.

"Anna…"

"_If_ they survive, the first time I want to see my sons is when they are happy and healthy. I don't want to see them on infant life support."

"But Anna, you can't just not see them. They could be in the NICU for up to three days."

"Then I'll wait three days to see them."

"We almost lost them. I almost lost you. How can you not be dying to see them? To hold them?"

"We still may lose them. Don't get your hopes up." Anna pulled herself away from Skyler again.

Skyler sighed, not wanting to fight, but his face was etched with worry. "Your mom, brother, and Sydney are here. They want to see you too, but the doctor said no more than two visitors at a time."

"Tell them to go. I don't feel like seeing anyone right now."

Skyler stared at her in shock. "They're your family, Anna. They're worried about you. You can't just turn them away like that."

"Well, I am. And I'd appreciate it if you left too."

Skyler felt as if he had just been shot in the heart. "But…"

"Please, Skyler. Not now. Just go." And with that, Anna officially cut herself off from the rest of the world.

* * *

A day later and Anna still wasn't allowing any visitors. The doctors had been keeping her family updated about her status as well as the babies'. The twins had been doing remarkably well and they were now expected to make a full recovery. In just two more days, they'd be out of the NICU and in Skyler and Anna's arms. At least, Skyler hoped they would be in Anna's arms.

While the twins were improving, she had gotten worse. Physically, Anna was perfect. She had shown no signs of infection and the scar from her C-section was healing nicely. Her mental state was a different story. The doctors had officially diagnosed her with postpartum depression. They had recommended that she start counseling and had prescribed antidepressants to her to take for the next six months.

The doctors had told Anna about the good news with her sons, but she hadn't been impressed. No matter what she was told, she could not be convinced that her sons were going to be okay. She was still refusing to see her children as well.

Skyler hoped that when she finally held their sons, she'd snap out of it. In the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't likely. He'd seen Sydney in enough dark mental states back at Draylon to know that these things weren't something you could just shake off. Still, holding their children had to help a little bit, right? They were going to need their mother. Skyler couldn't do it all on his own.

Skyler had stayed overnight at the hospital, refusing to leave in case Anna changed her mind about him seeing her. The rest of her family had been coming and going, always making sure Skyler had someone there with him. Currently, it was Anna's mother.

He knew Sydney and Joe wanted to stay the whole time with him, but they had their own twins to take care of. They were much too young to be without their parents, mainly their mother, for more than an hour.

Skyler couldn't help but be jealous and a little bit angry that their twins had been born perfectly healthy. He immediately felt guilty for even thinking about it. He knew Joe and Sydney had had their share of problems over the past year.

Skyler stared at the picture he had taken of his sons. Sydney had been right about them being hooked up to a few machines to keep them alive. They still looked perfect to Skyler. Their chestnut hair sat on top of chocolate skin that was dusted with tiny freckles. The twins hadn't been opening their eyes much, but Skyler caught a glimpse of the same dark brown eyes that he had.

Skyler knew his sons would pull through. They were strong, just like their mother. And that was how Skyler knew that Anna would pull through this as well. She had to. Skyler would make sure of it.

* * *

Anna wasn't a crier, but she was finding it difficult to hold back tears as she held her sons for the first time.

They were alive. They were healthy. They were hers.

And yet… A familiar darkness loomed over Anna's mind. Anna knew they wouldn't be here long. She couldn't be this lucky. She didn't deserve to have healthy children. She'd clearly done something wrong with the pregnancy. How could she be expected to take care of them now?

Anna pushed the twins towards Skyler's arms. "Here, you hold them."

Skyler softly laughed and pushed them back to her. "I've been holding them all day. It's your turn to enjoy them. Don't you want to hold our sons?"

"I…" Anna looked down at the large, dark eyes of her children. She couldn't allow herself to get attached. She pushed away the small amount of love that was building up inside of her and handed the twin boys to Skyler. "I think they'd prefer their father."

Skyler gave her a curious look and reluctantly took the kids away from her. "Okay. Though you know nothing is better for a child than its mother's love."

Anna shrugged. "A father's love is important too."

"So you ready to discuss names?" Skyler quickly changed the subject, knowing not to push it with Anna's PPD. "I know we already have names picked out and decided that their middle names would be after our father's names, but who's going to be who?"

Both boys were staring wide eyed around the room. It was their first time out of the NICU and it was obvious they were happy to be unhooked from all those machines. They seemed to have an odd connection and kept blinking simultaneously and moving in the exact same way.

"I think this one is more of a Connor Johnathon." Skyler nodded towards the boy in his right arm. "Something about him makes me think of your father. While this one," he nodded to his other son, "is more of a Carter James."

Anna forced herself to smile. "Sounds good to me."

She couldn't blame Skyler for becoming so attached to the boys, but she wouldn't allow herself to do the same. The twins may not be linked to their infant life support anymore, but anyone could see that they were still weak and were going to need a lot of help to survive. Help Anna couldn't give. She had accepted the fact that they wouldn't last long outside of the hospital.

Anna had already given them over to death.

* * *

**A/N - Sorry for the somewhat depressing ending to this chapter, but I wanted to use it to set up for a future one where all the drama will conclude. So think of this as basically a part one.**

**Don't forget to review, favourite, and follow for more! Thanks for reading!**


	22. Head Over Heels

**Head Over Heels**

Why did old guys like to talk so much?

Fred fought to stay awake during his meeting. In front of him was a long black table where five old men sat talking about the commercial for next Sunday's football game. Granted, the men were only in their forties, but that was still old to Fred.

"We need to reach out to the younger female audience, that's where our numbers are weakest."

"And putting in more B-roll of the locker room scenes is supposed to do that?"

"Have you got any better ideas?"

Fred groaned. He did, but he was just an entry-level assistant here to fetch coffee and make copies. Not exactly what the job description listed when he applied to be an advertising assistant for ESPN. He had been out of college for a year and he had hoped to be running this place by now. He knew that was a long shot, but he needed the money. He had plans for a very special day that should have happened years ago, if only he had the money.

"What if we throw in some animals? Girls love animals." That was Richard Ashford, current executive media director. Head of advertising and Fred's least favourite person. He had no clue why this guy was in charge. His ideas were terrible and he had done nothing to improve viewership. He also treated Fred like he was stupid and had no right to be here, which easily got on Fred's nerves.

"Animals are good, but how do we work them in? Mascots?"

"Not every team has an animal mascot."

"And girls aren't going to care even if you throw in a hundred puppies," Fred mumbled under his breath.

The men at the table stopped and stared at Fred, who flinched and looked away, not realizing he had spoken out loud.

"Do you have something to say, boy?" Richard frowned in disapproval.

"No sir, just talking to myself." Fred kept his eyes trained on the table before him.

"Clearly you think you have some brilliant suggestion to share with the group. So let's hear it." Richard folded his arms as if he was challenging Fred.

"Well," Fred nervously looked around the room, meeting the eyes of everyone but Richard, "you can put as many animals as you want in the ad, but it won't change the fact that it's football and most girls aren't going to be interested."

"Then what, pray tell, do you think we should do." Richard had a smug smirk on his face, clearly anticipating some silly answer.

"Stop focusing on the audience we don't have, and won't get, and focus on maintaining the one we do have. If you put too much attention on a minority focus group, you'll lose the majority, and that's exactly what's happening." Fred stared at Richard head on. "And no offense sir, but your latest ideas have been the reason why."

Richard's face reddened to the point where he looked like a cherry. "How dare you."

"The kid's got a point, Rich. Our numbers have slowly been dropping and none of your ideas have helped." One of the men turned to Fred with an expectant look. "If you were in charge of this commercial, what would you do?"

Fred shrugged. "Focus on what's important, the fans. Give them the experience they want. Beer, hot cheerleaders, a fun rivalry. You know, classic football stuff. Don't glorify it and make it into something it's not."

The men around the table nodded and turned to Richard. "What do you think, Rich?"

By this point Richard was fuming. First he was insulted by this child and now his coworkers were agreeing with the kid. "I think you all are out of your minds. You can't listen to this kid. What does he know about marketing? I'm in charge, what I say goes."

"Maybe it's time for a change in power." A new man stood in the doorway, one Fred had never seen before. He appeared to be the same age as the others in the room, but this man gave off an air of power.

"Mr. Mercer." Richard's face paled. "I wasn't aware you would be joining us today."

"I decided to listen in for a bit." Mr. Mercer entered the room and smiled down on Fred. "I like the way you think, son. You could be a real benefit to this company. While you continue to disappoint." He turned to Richard before focusing his attention back on Fred. "Step inside my office for a moment would you?"

"Sure, sir." Fred got up and followed the new man out of the board room, not quite sure what was happening.

They stepped inside a large glass office that looked out over the New York City skyline. The office was high-end with large ornate furniture and a glass cart in the corner containing expensive and top of the line liquors.

"Whiskey?" Mr. Mercer stepped over the cart and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

Fred blinked. "Uh, sure." Was this a test? Seeing how committed he was to his job? Fred cautiously accepted the drink.

"How long have you been working here, Fred?"

Fred paused. How did this guy know his name? He had never seen him or even heard his name before, and yet he knew Fred. "A little over a year, sir."

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal. Call me Chris." Chris took a sip of his whiskey. "Do you like working here?"

"Yes, sir- I mean Chris."

"Good to hear. What do you think of Mr. Ashford's leadership in your department? Don't be afraid to be honest."

Fred hesitated, still not sure if he was being tested or not. "I think his ideas are old and they don't match the standard for today's advertising. We need someone who can give fresh ideas and keep the consumers happy."

"Someone like you perhaps?" Mr. Mercer reached into his desk and pulled out a short packet of paper. "I agree that Richard's suggestions are outdated. He no longer fits the position of executive media director. But you do."

Fred stilled. "I'm sorry?"

"Mr. Ashford will not be with this company much longer. We're going to need someone to fill his place. I would like that someone to be you." Chris spun the packet around so that Fred could read it. The words 'Offer of Employment and Employment Contract' stood out in bold letters across the top. "You're young, you're ideas are good, you know what the people want. You're exactly what this company needs. I'm prepared to make you an offer to be our new executive media director here at ESPN."

Fred couldn't take his eyes off of the paper before him. He had found where the starting salary was listed. "That's a lot of zeros."

Mr. Mercer chuckled. "Yes, this is a multi-billion dollar corporation. We make sure to pay our higher-up employees very well. In addition to that starting salary, we are offering a large signing bonus that you can receive today if you sign this contract." He pointed to a spot a little further down on the page.

Time slowed down for Fred. It was exactly the amount of money he needed. He wasn't able to fully process the situation. He couldn't believe what was happening to him. This was exactly what he wanted. So why was his name not on the paper yet?

"Do you have a pen I can borrow?"

Chris grinned. "Of course."

* * *

The small, baby blue box bounced around inside Fred's shirt pocket. He kept checking to make sure it was still there, not wanting to lose his fifty thousand dollar purchase. He carried a bottle of expensive champagne in one hand, after all he needed to celebrate. And he wanted to do it with the woman he was head over heels for.

He opened the door to his and Kairi's small apartment. Kairi was sitting on the couch, sketching in her fashion design book. Once she had graduated from Parsons with her fashion degree she had started working alongside Skyler and Sydney doing hair, make-up, and costume design for their various shows and performances.

Kairi was so small and took up almost no space, and yet she was always able to light up the whole room in Fred's eyes. His Kairi, or Novella as he preferred to call her. He thought her birth name was prettier than the fake alias she had made up for herself when she had died.

He made sure the box was hidden inside his pocket and made his way over to Kairi. He picked her up bridal style in one easy swoop, her small weight nothing for Fred's built muscles.

Kairi giggled and looked up at him with bright eyes. "Hello, prince."

"Hello my beautiful princess." Fred placed a firm kiss on her lips.

Kairi noticed the champagne bottle. "What's that for?"

"Tonight is a special night."

"It is?" Kairi tilted her head. "Why?"

"Because someone got a promotion at work today which includes a very large paycheck." Fred put on a smug grin.

Kairi's eyes widened. "Fred! That's amazing! Congratulations!" She pulled him in for another kiss.

"But tonight is going to be special for another reason." Fred gently set Kairi down on the floor and grabbed her hand. "Come on, we don't have much time."

* * *

"Tonight must be pretty special if you wanted to come back here." Kairi grinned and sat down near the edge of the roof. It was the same roof in Little Italy where Fred had taken her on one of their first dates, where he had kissed her and told her that he loved her for the first time. Ironically enough, Kairi was wearing the same necklace he had given her that same date.

They'd been back to this roof a few times to watch the sunset together, but they'd only ever visited when it was a very special occasion. They had plenty of memories together of this place. Kairi felt her heart skip a beat just thinking about it.

"Oh, it is." Fred put his arm around her waist as he sat down next to her. He had placed the champagne bottle and two flute glasses behind them. They would need it all soon. The sun was just about to start its descent over the horizon. Sunset had quickly become Fred's favourite time of day.

Fred turned Kairi's chin towards him. Her light blonde hair turned golden underneath the glow of the sunset. He gazed down at her beautiful face, and surprisingly felt calm. He had expected his stomach to be doing summersaults as he got closer and closer the big moment, but as he gazed into Kairi's chocolate eyes, he only felt a radiating warmth flow from his heart all the way to the tips of his toes.

"Princess?"

"Hmm?" Kairi returned his loving gaze.

"Remember when we used to go on all those crazy adventures together?"

"Of course." Kairi beamed at him. "I loved our adventures. It sucks that we got so busy with college and work that we haven't been able to have one in a while."

"What if I had another great adventure planned out for us?" Fred slowly removed his arm from Kairi's waist and reached for the box in his shirt pocket, careful to keep it concealed in his hand.

"Really?" Kairi visibly perked up. "Where are we going?"

"Someplace very special." Fred grabbed Kairi's hand. "But it will provide many challenges for us, but I know without a doubt that you and I can conquer them without fail. I know that no one will ever hold my heart the way that you do, and I know that there's no one else I'd rather go on this wild adventure with. You're my best friend and the absolute love of my life."

In her eagerness, Kairi had started bouncing up and down. "Please, tell me what it is already."

Fred smiled and revealed the Tiffany blue engagement ring box he had been hiding. Kairi froze as her eyes locked onto the box, immediately knowing what it was. "Novella Cara Ricci, will you join me on our next greatest adventure together as my beautiful, loving, and perfect wife?"

He opened the box to reveal a Tiffany Soleste engagement ring. The centerpiece of the ring was a heart cut, three carat diamond outlined with rose pink tourmalines, Kairi's birthstone. The band was composed of several smaller diamonds arranged side by side.

The light reflected off of the diamonds and made Kairi's eyes sparkle. She became uncharacteristically quiet and touched the ring, as if making sure it was real. "Oh, Fred." Tears brimmed at the bottom of Kairi's eyes. She slowly started to shake her head yes, until she was rapidly moving her head up and down. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

Kairi had trouble keeping her hand still as Fred slipped the ring on. It was a perfect fit. She pulled Fred in for a kiss, not letting go until she was out of breath. She broke away laughing, not able to contain her joy.

Fred pulled her in close. "I promise to make this the best adventure of your life."

* * *

**A/N - Fred and Kairi are now officially engaged! So next comes the wedding, which of course with Kairi has to be big. ;) Thanks for reading!**


	23. The Big Day

**The Big Day**

"Holy…" Sydney and Cade gathered around Kairi and stared down at her hand. "Kairi, that thing barely fits on your finger. Are you sure Fred didn't rob a bank to afford it?"

Kairi giggled. "Nope. Fred got a big promotion at work and they gave him a huge signing bonus. He said he knew right away what he wanted to spend it on."

The three of them plus Jade were hanging out in Kairi and Fred's apartment. Kairi had called them over earlier to share her big news. She proudly held her left hand in the air to examine her engagement ring. "I couldn't sleep at all last night."

"Too busy celebrating with Fred?" Sydney teased.

Kairi blushed, ever the modest one. "Well, _maybe_, but I meant that I couldn't stop thinking about the wedding. I have so many ideas! You two have to help me plan it. I think I want the date to be on Valentine's Day, but it would also be really cute to do it on our anniversary, but that means I'll have to wait until April and I don't think I can wait that long. But the fall is also really pretty. And what about a theme? Do I do classic and simple or should I go big and have an enchanted forest theme like our senior prom when we won king and queen?"

"Why don't you relax and enjoy being engaged for a little while before you jump right into wedding mode?" Cade gave her a sympathetic grin.

"But I can't wait to be married! Maybe we should just do what you and Joe did and elope at city hall." Kairi looked at Sydney.

Sydney shook her head. "I know you, Kairi. You want a big fancy wedding, not a quick city hall elopement."

"I guess… but there's just so much to figure out! How am I supposed to do it all?" Kairi pouted.

"We'll help. Anything you need, just ask." Cade and Sydney smiled at her. "What do you know you want?"

"Well, Sydney, you _have_ to sing at the reception for us. Maybe you and Skyler could even do a few duets. It will be so romantic when we have our first dance together. And I know Jade would make the cutest flower girl." Kairi picked up Jade out of Sydney's lap. Jade began to squirm under Kairi's tight squeeze. She looked to her mother for help. "Can't you just see her in the prettiest little dress?"

"I'm sure Jade would love to be your flower girl." Sydney quickly took her daughter back into her own arms. Jade happily relaxed and rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

"If she'd leave your side." Cade studied Jade. "She's been clinging to you more than usual lately."

Sydney shrugged and looked away. "I'm sure she just wants to spend as much time with me as possible before the twins arrive." Sydney patted her protruding stomach.

"Oh, kids! I can't wait to have kids!" Kairi clapped her hands. "Do you think Fred would be okay if we had kids right away? We haven't really talked about how many kids we want. I think three is a good number though. I hope it's all girls, but Fred would probably prefer all boys, not that I wouldn't love them if they were all boys, but it'd be nice to have a daughter, you know?"

"Focus on getting married first." Cade cut her off to save them all from one of Kairi's long speeches. "Once you get married, then you can start having children."

"What if we have a double wedding?" Kairi started to bounce in her seat. "Fred, me, you, and Sam! It would be _so_ cute! You just need to get Sam to propose."

Cade frowned. "Kairi, we're both a little busy right now. We don't have time to get married."

"What are you two working on this time?"

"Well, we're still trying to sort out a research project for our doctorates." Cade paused to reach into her bag. She pulled out a metallic orb the size of a cantaloupe. "And PAIA's arms need to be adjusted to extend further, along a few other things Sam wants to modify and add in."

"The thing already does everything. What else can you add to it?"

"Voice modification. Sam thinks he can put in a program so that PAIA can change its voice and mimic what it hears." Cade pressed a button and the machine in her hands came to life. Two wings unfolded and the orb silently lifted into the air while a screen started up.

"So I can play a Maroon Five song, PAIA will alter its voice, and it will sound like Adam Levine is my personal assistant? Cool."

"My capabilities and AI levels far exceed mimicking a celebrity for your entertainment. But it's understandable if that's only way you can get a man to talk to you," a woman's voice with a robotic pitch to it spoke up.

Sydney frowned. "You kept the sarcasm feature I see."

"One of PAIA's duties is to entertain." Cade shrugged. "Though it is possible to lower those levels if the user feels antagonized."

"Well this user feels antagonized."

"Unfortunately, I am not your PAIA and you cannot adjust my levels."

"PAIA," Cade spoke in a commanding tone, "make yourself useful and play _Blue's Clues_ for Jade."

PAIA flew down in front of Jade and the screen began to display an episode of _Blue's Clues_. Jade giggled and eagerly watched the show.

"Do you think PAIA would be useful in the wedding?" Kairi watched the machine with interest.

"It's possible. It's designed to help with all tasks and have access to all kinds of knowledge. It could keep all the plans and budgeting organized for you and with a quick search of its database could inform you of the current wedding dress prices and trends."

"_Oh_!" Kairi clapped her hands. "I'll take twenty!"

Cade laughed and shook her head. "They won't be available for purchase for quite some time. PAIA still has to undergo a lot of testing. And Sam and I have been recruited for so many research projects and invention designs that we haven't had time to run those tests."

Kairi frowned. "Fine, but I want the first one when it becomes available."

"Deal."

* * *

"Hmm… no." Kairi shook her head and crossed her arms.

A collective groan came from Cade and Sydney. "Kairi, your wedding is a month away and you still don't have a dress."

"I'm sorry, but it needs to be perfect. This dress just isn't the one." Kairi sighed and walked back into the dressing room to try on another dress. The dress she had on was ivory coloured and had a mermaid style bottom.

"What are you talking about?" Sydney called back to her. "It's gorgeous!"

"Just like the last hundred see tried on today," Cade grumbled and slumped down in her seat. "She does know our lives don't revolve around this wedding right?"

"She can act like a queen all she wants on her wedding day. She doesn't need to behave that way every day leading up to it. Anna was never this bad when I was helping her with her wedding." Sydney groaned. "What time is it anyway? I need to get home to check on Jade."

"Time is currently four thirty-eight in the afternoon. A watch is a device used to tell time. Perhaps you should invest in one."

A scowl spread over Sydney's face. "Why did you bring the talking toaster along?"

"Because Kairi has been using PAIA to keep all the details of her wedding organized. And she'd been hiding Fred's wedding band in its storage compartment. It has the intelligence and capability to run a country, and this is what it's been reduced to." Cade rested her face in the palm of her hand.

Kairi came bustling out of the dressing room with a new dress on. She studied herself in the large mirror. This time, the dress was pure white. The bodice was plain and the sleeves were capped. "I don't think I like this one either."

"Kairi, if you haven't liked any of the dresses here so far, maybe you should just design your own." Sydney was only half-serious, more concerned with getting home to her daughter than Kairi's wedding gown. "You are a fashion designer after all and the costumes you've made for all our shows have all been wonderful. You're bound to get a Tony nomination for costume design next year."

Kairi straightened up, a grin slowly appearing on her mouth. "I think that's a great idea! And you two can help me design it!"

Sydney and Cade both paled, quickly regretting their words. "Uh, we're not really the fashion experts."

"Yeah, so why don't you trust your own judgement on this? I'm sure it will look beautiful."

Kairi pouted. "But I thought you two were going to help me every step of the way?"

Cade and Sydney shared a pained expression. "We were… and we will still help if you really need it, but we sort of have other needs to attend to."

"But… my wedding." Kairi's arms dangled at her sides, her eyes widening as she looked back and forth between her two friends.

"Your wedding is going to be amazing." Sydney and Cade stood and walked over to Kairi. "Everything has been planned out and you've done a great job. Whatever dress you end up going with, even if you make your own, will be perfect and will look beautiful on you."

"And you know Fred will love it and you no matter what."

Kairi huffed and sat down in one of the chairs. "I just need this to be absolutely perfect. Nothing can go wrong. I only get to do this once."

"Everything will be perfect."

"But you're focusing too much on the material and not the meaning. Remember why you're getting married in the first place."

Kairi closed her eyes. Fred's loving face appeared behind her eyelids. Kairi's lips turned up in a grin. "Because I've met the man of my dreams. A man who I've fallen completely in love with and who loves just as much in return. You guys are right. This wedding will be perfect, but not because I've planned out every detail. It will be perfect because of who I am marrying. This wedding can't get here soon enough."

* * *

_October 12th, 2019_

Kairi was vibrating with excitement. She couldn't stop smiling even if she wanted to.

"Kairi, if you don't stay still, I'm going to end up burning you with this curling wand." Sydney pulled the curling wand away from Kairi's head. Her hair was almost done, but a few strands were still straight and needed to be curled.

"Sorry." Kairi sheepishly grinned and forced herself to be still. "I can't help it. My wedding day is finally here!" Her arms wrapped around her own torso in a tight embrace. She let out a string of giggles.

She smiled at herself in the mirror. After months of planning and designing, everything was finally in place. Kairi wasn't one to brag, but this was going to be the most fantastical wedding ever.

"I understand that, but unless you want to walk down the aisle looking like you just woke up, I suggest you stay still."

Kairi suppressed her giggles and managed to calm down. Her grin never went away.

She had decided on an enchanted forest theme, just like their senior prom. Luckily for them, the Brooklyn botanical gardens just opened a new indoor forestry area and it was perfect for Kairi's vision. They had rented it out and completely transformed it into a mystical wonderland. Kairi hadn't been around when they were putting in the finishing touches, but she had no doubt that it was going to look perfect. She couldn't wait to walk down the aisle and see it all in person.

Following Cade and Sydney's suggestion, Kairi had designed and made her own dress. Once that turned out so well, she decided to make the maid of honour dresses and Jade's flower girl dress as well.

Kairi looked at Jade out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but think how adorable she looked, even though Jade was awkwardly fidgeting in her dress. Sydney had mentioned something about how Jade wasn't a big fan of wearing dresses, but she should be fine if she only had to wear it for a short amount of time. Apparently, time was running out.

Jade's dress looked similar to a short ball gown. The top half was black and looked like a tank top, but the bottom was white, flared out, and stopped at her knees. Three black lace stripes horizontally circled the bottom. A splash of colour was added by a light pink satin sash tied around the middle, dividing the white bottom from the black top. The sash featured a large pink flower in the front that rested near the left side of Jade's waist. The back of the sash was tied together in a cute bow. Her shoes were white gladiator sandals decorated with three matching chiffon, glittery flowers. Her basket filled with blue and purple tie-dye dendrobium orchids sat next to her.

Kairi couldn't wait to have kids of her own. She wanted to start trying right away.

"What are the chances Fred forgot to write his vows?" Cade was sitting in a nearby chair watching Kairi get ready. She had smirk on her face. "Not that he couldn't make them up off the top of his head, but you know how he is."

"I trust my prince to have written his vows by now. And I'm sure they're wonderful." Though even Kairi felt a small seed of doubt in the pit of her stomach. She loved Fred, but he did have a tendency to forget important things like that. She shook off the feeling. She couldn't worry about it now.

Her eyes focused on Sydney's reflection in the mirror, making sure there were no flaws in her dress. Kairi had had difficulty designing the bridesmaid dresses. Sydney wasn't due for another two months, so she couldn't get Sydney's exact measurements since her pregnant stomach was still growing. Still, Kairi thought her estimates were surprisingly good considering Sydney fit into her dress well. Cade's measurements were easy to get.

The other problem Kairi had was finding a colour that looked good on both of her friends considering they had different hair colours, eye colours, and skin tones. She'd settled on a metallic gold.

The dresses were strapless and featured a pleated bodice with a straight neckline. The bottom half was loose, flowy, and was made of cascading layers of the gold chiffon fabric. Like Jade's flower girl dress, the bridesmaids' dresses stop at the knee. Also like Jade's outfit, the bridesmaids' dresses were accessorized with a wide satin sash. The sash was white and had a large flower on the front right side. Their shoes matched the dresses, sparkly gold flats that were comfortable to stand in for long periods of time. Their hair was pulled back in a French twist which looked good on both of them.

Sydney finished curling Kairi's hair and sprayed some hairspray to keep it in place. The curls shortened Kairi's hair, but not by much. It still fell to her chin. Her curls were large and tight, framing the sides of her heart-shaped face. Her bangs swept across her forehead completely covering the right side. Kairi wanted to make sure they wouldn't obscure her eyes because she had spent a lot of time on her make-up and wanted it to be on full display.

She'd chosen to do a baby blue eyeshadow that darkened to an electric blue towards the outer corners of her eyes and lightened to white on the inner corners of her eyes. She'd lined them with black eyeliner, even giving herself winged tips, and voluminous mascara. The total effect really made her eyes pop. The rest of her face had been carefully contoured to give her a completely glamorous look.

"You've never looked more beautiful." Sydney smiled at her cousin as she fixed a tiara modelled after a Victorian-style crown in Kairi's hair. The tiara had actually been Fred's idea. Ever since Kairi could remember, she and Fred had been referring to each other as prince and princess. It fit their adventure-seeking lifestyle perfectly.

Kairi reach for her veil and pinned it to the back of her head. It was white and see-through like any other veil, but this one was lined with silver hemming and had a sparkling flower design stitched into the right side.

And that was the last step. She was now ready to walk down the aisle and say 'I do' to the most wonderful man she had ever met in all of her six hundred and eighty-three years. Technically, she was only six hundred and eighty-two, but Kairi's birthday was just a few weeks away.

Kairi only felt excitement. She'd expected to feel a little nervous, but she wasn't. She could only hope Fred felt the same way.

* * *

Fred nervously adjusted his black bowtie. No matter how hard he tried, the stupid thing wouldn't stay straight. Sam and Joe had gotten theirs on no problem. His must have been faulty.

"Joe, give me your bowtie." Fred roughly pulled his bowtie off in frustration.

"Why?" Joe glanced up from his cell phone and raised an eyebrow at Fred.

"Because mine's broken." He tossed his bowtie over to Joe who caught it.

Fred studied his groomsmen. He couldn't pick one over the other to be his best man, so he had chosen both to fill the role. Kairi had done the same with Cade and Sydney to be her maids of honour.

Joe and Sam were in identical tuxedos. Black pants, jacket, shoes, and bowtie, but a white undershirt. It was the same outfit Fred himself wore. The only difference being that Fred wore a small, white and pink stargazer lily as his boutonniere. It was pinned to the upper left side of his jacket. He didn't have a hat on, which bothered Fred. He felt so naked without one.

"It's not broken. You're just tying it wrong," Joe said after examining the black strip of fabric. He threw it back at Fred.

Fred grumbled and attempted to tie it for the tenth time. "How am I supposed to know how to tie one of these things?"

"It's not that hard." Sam looked at him. "How have you never tied a tie before?"

"I've tied plenty of ties, but this is a bowtie. It's not the same." The bow tie turned out crooked again. Groaning, Fred had no choice but to undo it.

Joe and Sam snickered at him. "Need help?"

Fred folded his arms over his chest. "Yes," he mumbled. "How do you two know how to do this anyway?"

"Because it's one of those things you should just know how to do." Sam shook his head.

Joe rolled his eyes and stood to help his friend. "To be fair, Sam and I have been to enough events wearing these to know how to do it by now. I can't count the amount of galas, balls, and award shows I've been to with Sydney where I've had to wear a full tux. They never get comfy." Joe finished tying Fred's bowtie and stepped back.

"Are you sure the reason you're having trouble with this isn't because you're nervous?" Sam teased from across the room.

"I'm not nervous." Fred turned away and started to mess with his hair in the mirror.

Joe tilted his head, a smirk playing along his lips. "Sure about that?"

"Were you nervous before you married Sydney?" Fred challenged. "Shotgun weddings can be stressful."

"It wasn't a shotgun wedding," Joe quickly denied. "And I didn't have time to be nervous. The time it took for me to decide I wanted to marry her to me actually marrying her was barely more than an hour." Joe studied his blonde friend. "It's okay to be nervous, Fred. You don't need to be all man all the time."

"I know what I'm doing. I love Kairi with all my heart. I wasn't nervous when I proposed, and I'm not nervous now. Everything about what is happening today feels so right to me." Fred grinned at himself in the mirror, finally satisfied with his appearance.

"So you're ready to go out there and read those vows you wrote for Kairi?"

Fred's face paled and he began to fidget. Joe and Sam noticed his reaction right away and started to laugh.

"So that's what you're worried about."

"Did you even write them?"

"Yes!" Fred scowled at them. "I've been working on them ever since Kairi suggested we write our own vows." He sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. "But they don't seem good enough. I can't find the right words to tell Kairi how I feel about her."

"Kairi knows how you feel about her. You are about to marry her after all."

"Yes, but she wants these vows to be special. But I feel like everything I write down will pale compared to whatever she has." Fred frowned. "Kairi means the world to me. I can't let her down."

Joe and Sam shared a knowing look, both grinning. "Something tells me whatever you wrote will be perfect."

"Besides, it's time to go. You don't have time to change anything. You ready?"

Fred checked the time on his phone, noting that his friends were right. They had to be waiting at the altar in five minutes. Within the next half hour, he would become a married man.

"I don't have much of a choice." Fred took a deep breath. "Here we go."

* * *

Fred wasn't surprised to see that the building where their wedding was taking place was magical. Kairi had done an astounding job. He knew Kairi had themed their wedding and he was aware of the basic details, but she had kept a lot hidden from him. She wanted him to be wowed when they day arrived. He was definitely wowed.

The greenhouse they had rented out was filled with various types of trees and all the trees were lit up with golden string lights. Jars filled with the same lights were hanging from the trees. The entire building had been tented to make it look like night time inside. You would never guess that it was the middle of the day outside. The golden lights were also hanging from the ceiling, creating the effect of fireflies flying through the air.

Fred was almost afraid to touch anything, worried he would mess it all up.

He heard Sam blow out a low whistle behind him. "Cade said Kairi was going all out, but I didn't think it would be this extravagant."

"I feel like we just stepped into another world," Joe added.

Fred grinned. He was so proud of his princess. He couldn't wait to see her walk down the aisle in her dress that he had no doubt was beautiful.

The men continued on their way to the altar. The ground they walked on was black and reflective. In the dark room, it made it look as if they were walking on water or floating through the air. It wasn't long after they settled in their positions when the processional music, played only by a pianist and a violinist, started. The familiar 'Canon in D' melody filled the air.

Fred knew how it would go from the wedding rehearsal they had had, but seeing everything come together blew him away. Kairi had done an impeccable job designing the dresses for everyone. Sydney and Cade looked gorgeous as they came down the aisle. Even little Jade looked pretty as she spread the flower petals down the aisle. But Fred didn't care about them, though he did notice Joe and Sam smiling and winking at their respective girls as they came to a stop across from them at the altar.

The music changed to the well-known 'Here Comes the Bride'. A lump formed in Fred's throat. He forced it down. He hadn't been nervous all day, and now that he was finally standing at the altar, all Fred wanted was to be married already. He hadn't seen Kairi in a day. He wanted nothing more than to kiss and hold his princess in his arms again.

His wishes were soon answered. The obsidian curtain at the end of the aisle wavered, Kairi stepped out, and...

And Fred's heart stopped. All the air left his body as he slowly took in the glowing visage of his bride before him. The white dress was beyond spectacular. Fred couldn't think of a single adjective to describe it. She truly looked like a princess in a glamorous ball gown. The forming-fitting bodice was woven with beaded embroidery that reflected all the lights dangling in the air. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The bottom was large and poofy. It bounced lightly as Kairi made her way towards Fred. Like the top part, the bottom contained beaded embroidery that sparkled under the lights. It was tiered in three layers and lined with white lace at the bottom. Her long train swayed behind her. She carried her bouquet in front of her. The flowers cascaded down her lower torso. It was composed of pink and white stargazer lilies, the same flower Fred wore as his boutonniere, blue and purple tie-dye dendrobium orchids, identical to what Jade had spread out on the ground, and white crabapples. They were all woven together with a thin green vine.

She finally reached the entwined trees that made up their altar. During her walk, Fred had forgotten to breath and would have kept forgetting if Joe didn't pinch him in his side. It broke Fred out of his trance just in time to hear the officiant began the ceremony. He grabbed Kairi's hands and held on tight. He suddenly had this fear that all this was a dream and he would wake up soon. He needed to enjoy every minute of the ceremony while it lasted.

"We have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Kairi and Fred. They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together. The ability and desire for one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift that has been entrusted to us. It is an all-consuming task, a lifelong endeavour, the journey we've been preparing for all of our lives. Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become more for the sake of the other. It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges humans to become all that we are meant to be. As they join in marriage today, Kairi and Fred are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that challenge.

"Kairi and Fred are here to marry each other. No one else's will can create such a union. It is their words, their intentions, their vision, that must define and shape this marriage. So I call upon them now to state their promise before this group: the pledges that will bind them together." The officiant turned to Fred expectantly. "Fred, as you look into Kairi's eyes, please say your vows."

Right, his vows. Fred gazed into Kairi's eyes, hoping he had found the right words. "Novella, you know me better than anyone else in this entire world and somehow still you manage to love me. You are my best friend, partner in crime, princess, and one true love. There is still a part of me today that cannot believe that I'm the one who gets to marry you. You are my everything, my world, my life. You light up the whole room as soon as you step inside, and I can't help but smile every time I think about you, which happens a lot. We have been on countless adventures together and we still have plenty more to go on. The way I see it, this is just another adventure for us, but I think it's my favourite one so far."

As he finished, tears formed in Kairi's eyes. Fred hoped that they were happy tears and that meant that he had done a good job with his vows. He still felt like it wasn't enough to fully describe what Kairi meant to him, but he got the feeling that Kairi knew exactly how he felt with or without the correct vows.

Grinning, the officiant now looked to Kairi and repeated to her, "Kairi, as you look into Fred's eyes, please say your vows."

Kairi blinked away her tears. She returned Fred's loving gaze and began her vows. "Fred, I can't tell you the moment I fell in love with you, because I don't when it happened. It's something that grew and blossomed over the course of our friendship. It developed into something far deeper and inexplicably beyond any calculation of time and place. You don't describe a feeling like that. You also can't replicate it or force it. You just let it flow in and around you. You go where it takes you. And it took me to you. I have traveled the world for most of my life, never really calling any one place home, and I've met a lot of men along the way, but none of them were like you. You make my heart soar. You make my head spin. You make me feel alive. I never expected I could be so happy when I finally found a place to settle down and call home. And I was right. It doesn't matter where I am or how long I stay there, that's not what home is. Home is where your heart is, and my heart is with you. Always."

Fred's heart was about to burst out of his chest. It was beating so fast and so strongly, he was worried he was going to have a heart attack. He had never been more sure that he had chosen to marry the right girl.

The officiant continued on with the wedding. "Do you Fred, take Kairi, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love forever more?"

"I do," Fred spoke with absolute certainty.

The officiant repeated the same thing to Kairi and she quickly answered, "I do."

Fred knew what came next, the exchanging of the rings. He temporarily released one of Kairi's hands and put his hand behind his back. He felt Joe slip the wedding band into his hand. Fred closed his fist, making sure he didn't drop the ring.

"Now we will watch as the groom and bride exchange rings. These rings represent the vows and promises you've willingly exchanged. They reflect the commitment those words inspire and all your hopes and dreams for the future." The officiant stepped back to let them do their thing.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Fred slipped the ring on Kairi's ring finger. He heard her let out a slight gasp. The wedding band he had given her matched her engagement ring. It was a silver band with diamonds encasing the whole thing. It matched her engagement ring perfectly.

Kairi giggled and pulled out the wedding band she had gotten for Fred. "With this ring, I thee wed." She easily slipped it on his finger.

The corners of Fred's mouth twitched up. Fred was expecting a simple silver or gold circle like most men's wedding bands. Of course, Kairi would go out of her way to find one that was different. The outer edges of the ring were silver, but the middle was black with lines of electric blue in a staircase pattern mixed in.

Fred's smile never went away because he knew what the next part was. The most important part. The part that would make this marriage official.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Fred barely let the officiant finish before pulling Kairi into him. His lips met hers in the best kiss of his life. He'd never felt so much love pass between them. The euphoria that filled his entire body was intense and Fred never wanted to forget this feeling.

Too soon, the magical kiss ended and they turned to face their guests, a few of which had already started clapping.

"I now present the newly married couple, Fred and Kairi."

* * *

**A/N - Sorry for the length :P, but I wanted to keep this all together. Their wedding was so much fun to plan and write. I wanted to make it extra special for them and fitting for their relationship. I'm proud of how it turned out. :)**

**Oh, and PAIA (Personal Artificial Intelligence Assistant), along with other inventions of Sam and Cade's will be seen in a lot of future stuff. ;)**

**Don't forget to leave a review and like this story. Follow me for more, and as always, thanks for reading!**


	24. Welcome to the World: November 2nd, 2020

**Welcome to the World: November 2nd, 2020**

"Do you prefer straight out pee-on-a-stick, or stick-in-a-cup-of-pee?" Sydney held up two different pregnancy tests.

"Shh! I don't need the whole world knowing!" Kairi clamped her hands over Sydney's mouth. Her eyes sporadically scanned the room, like they were being watched and secret agents were about to swoop in and arrest them for talking so openly in public. Even if 'in public' meant Sydney and Joe's living room.

Sydney rolled her eyes and pushed Kairi's hands away. "Kairi, you're married, and you've been trying to have a kid for a month. What's the big deal if people know?" She put her hands on her hips. "I can't keep buying these things for you. Do you know the looks I get when I buy them? Today, the stupid cashier even told me that if I didn't know by now, I was blind. Not to mention you know I could go into labor at moment now."

Kairi glanced at Sydney's nine-month-pregnant swollen stomach. "I guess it's not that big of a deal, but I don't even know for sure if I'm pregnant. I've been disappointed so many times already." Kairi sighed and stared at the floor.

"That's why we have these, to be sure." She pushed the tests into Kairi's arms. "Now go pee."

Kairi blushed and walked off into the bathroom.

By the time Kairi came back out, Sydney had settled on the couch, watching Jade colour in a colouring book.

Kairi sat on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"I'm taking that as a negative?" Sydney gave her a sympathetic smile and Kairi mutely nodded her head in response. "They could be false negatives. Conception takes up to two weeks to occur. There's a reason the box says to wait a few days after your missed period to have the best results."

"I guess... I just don't understand. Am I doing something wrong? How hard can it be to become pregnant? I mean, you and Joe keep having it happen. And you're not even trying!" Kairi huffed and folded her arms.

Sydney frowned at her. "Trust me, it's no fun when you didn't even want to be pregnant in the first place," Sydney spoke grudgingly, staring at her stomach. "You'll get pregnant the moment you stop trying to get pregnant. Besides, it takes most couples up to a year to become pregnant. There's no need for you to hurry yet."

"It's not fair, none of your kids were planned. I mean, you got pregnant with Jade right after your honeymoon. Though I guess that must have been so hard for you and Joe. He was still in school and didn't exactly have a high paying job, plus you were newlyweds. And now you're pregnant again! Maybe you two just need better birth control or-"

"Kairi," Sydney's voice was low, a warning to Kairi to stop talking.

Kairi apologized and looked away.

"And for your information, Joe and I were talking about having another kid. So this pregnancy wasn't entirely unplanned."

"Yes, but did you two agree to anything? Weren't you two fighting recently over something? You know, you two seemed to have a lot of problems the past few months the more I think about it. Maybe you should get help, like therapy, and-"

"We're fine now," Sydney cut her off. "Really. And don't worry, you and Fred will have you're share of fights as well. Like when he finds out you stopped taking your birth control pills. Or have you finally told him you're trying to have a kid?"

Kairi bit her lip. "Not exactly. But I will."

"When? After you get pregnant? You can't keep lying to him like this."

"I'm not lying! I'm just not telling him everything." Kairi sighed. "I just don't know if he even wants to have kids yet. It's so soon after our wedding."

Sydney tilted her head and studied Kairi. "Do you really think you should be trying to have kids if he isn't ready yet?"

Kairi looked at her, knowing she was right. She couldn't not tell Fred. After all, it would be his child too. And who knew, maybe if she told Fred, he'd say he wanted a kid as well. Maybe then she'd actually become pregnant like she hoped she would. In the end, it was a two person job.

* * *

"You... what?" Kairi blinked at Fred. She couldn't have heard him correctly. There was just no way.

Fred laughed. "I know. Princess, you can't hide something like that and expect me not to know about it. I was wondering when you were going to tell me though."

"I... You're not mad?" Kairi couldn't stop staring at him. She was sure her jaw was hanging open, but she didn't care. How? How could Fred have known this whole time that she was trying to have a kid behind his back?

"No. I'll admit I was shocked at first, but I'm not mad. I'm totally down to have a kid. We've basically been married for years anyway." Fred brushed Kairi's hair away from her face. "You could have just told me, you know."

Kairi blushed. "I was worried you would say no. That it was too soon and we should wait a few years. How did you even find out anyway?"

"There were a few signs, like how often you were dragging me into the bedroom. Seriously, even for newlyweds you were going crazy. But I figured that was just you're way of saying I love you." Fred shrugged. "I honestly didn't know until Joe brought it up one day assuming I already knew."

"Joe told you? How did he know? I made Sydney swear not to tell anyone!" Kairi frowned, hurt at her cousin's betrayal.

"Sydney didn't tell him anything. Maybe you two should learn to be more careful with what you say in front of Jade? She's quite the talker and we all know she hasn't learned what not to say yet." Fred crossed his arms with a smirk.

"Oh." Kairi's blush deepened. She was embarrassed that she had been found out so easily, by a four-year-old no less.

"You look cute when you blush. Not that you're not cute all the time, but you look especially cute now." Fred smiled, his eyes lighting up in the process.

"I'm sorry, prince. I feel so guilty now. It wasn't fair of me to lie to you like that." Kairi couldn't get herself to make eye contact with Fred.

"It's alright, princess." Fred tilted her chin to get Kairi to look at him. "Like I said, I'm not mad. All I got out of this was more love making sessions with you." Fred kissed the tip of Kairi's nose. "So, have any of our endeavors been successful?"

Kairi shook her head, her embarrassment fading into sorrow. "I just took another test today. Negative for the umpteenth time in a row. At this rate we'll never have kids."

"Don't say that. You've been trying for what, a few weeks? That's not that bad. Besides, I've met my great-granddaughter remember? So I have to have a kid eventually."

"But what if it's not with me?" The fear instantly crept into Kairi's mind. She had never thought of that before. Everything had always seemed so good between her and her prince. She'd never considered the thought of them not making it. And what if she just couldn't get pregnant at all? Being dead for so long had had its side effects on her. Her pale skin for instance, or the fact that her hair never grew. Maybe being infertile was another one of those side effects.

"You need to relax. You and I will have a child together. I know it. I made a vow to love you and stick with you through good times and bad. I meant it then and I mean it now. Perhaps," Fred felt a smirk spread over his mouth, "you and I just need to keep trying." Without giving Kairi time to react, he swooped her up into his arms like he had done a hundred times before. He began to walk back to their bedroom. "And I think we should start right now."

* * *

"It's not going to be a girl. I'm too manly to have a girl." Fred smirked and flexed his muscles.

Sam rolled his eyes. "You're forgetting the other half of the equation, which is Kairi. Kairi's too girly to have a son."

After two months of trying, Kairi was finally pregnant. Fred had excitedly called Sam and Joe over to share his big news.

"I can't have a girl. They're too dainty. I need a son I can play video games with and take to baseball games. I can't do that stuff with a girl."

"Having a girl is not that bad, Fred." Joe smiled at Jade as he watched her play with some of Kairi's fabric swatches. "I love Jade just as much as I would if she were a boy."

"Yeah, but you're you. You're not as manly as me." Fred studied Jade as if she were a bad omen. "Why did you bring her over anyway?"

Joe was scowling from Fred's comment about his lack of manliness, deciding that maybe he would let his friend try to raise his child without any tips from him. "I told you, Sydney took the twins in for their one month check-up and I have to watch Jade while she's gone."

"She can't stay home by herself yet?"

"She's four."

"Still?"

"Do you know how birthdays work?" Joe sighed. "Look, I promise you whether you have a boy or a girl, it will not matter. You will love them just as much either way."

"I'm not saying I wouldn't love my daughter, I just wouldn't be able to have any fun with her. But a boy would be totally different. Boys and girls don't behave the same way. They don't think the same way."

Jade spoke up, momentarily disinterested in the colourful patterns in front of her, "Mommy says that girls are smarter because boys have too many heads and they never think with the right one."

Joe blinked at her. "And just when did mommy say that?"

Jade simply shrugged and returned to playing with Kairi's vibrant fabric samples.

Sam shook his head. "You two really need to buy her earplugs or something. Is there anything she doesn't hear?"

Fred snickered, "Better be careful or soon she'll be asking why mommy gets so religious in your bedroom at night."

Joe responded by hitting Fred in the back of the head, which only made Fred laugh more.

"I hope you do end up with a daughter, Fred." Joe smiled a smug smile. "The perfect punishment for you will be to have to participate in manicures, tea parties, midday fashion shows, and impromptu waltzes. And then experience how surprised you'll be when you find out how much you'll genuinely enjoy it all."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Fred held up his hands and looked at Joe incredulously. "Are you telling me that you have tea parties?" Fred burst into laughter, a few tears building up in his eyes. Even Sam couldn't hold back his chuckles this time.

Joe rolled his eyes and slumped down in his chair. He mumbled, "You'll understand when you have a daughter of your own."

* * *

"If I had known pregnancy was this awful, I never would have wanted a child." Kairi huffed and crossed her arms. "I knew morning sickness was a thing, but it turns out, it's all-day sickness!"

"Preaching to the choir, honey." Sydney continued to type away on her laptop, only half-listening to Kairi's rant.

"Cade, consider yourself lucky that you've never had to go through this."

Cade frowned and looked away. "Yeah, lucky."

"It's miserable! I'm always nauseous, I've been having the weirdest cravings, and everything smells bad now! Like seriously. I cleaned our entire house the other day and it still smells like something died in there. Speaking of which, Sydney you should really consider going through your fridge. I can smell it all the way from here." Kairi made a big show a plugging her nose and sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"Yeah, sure thing, Kairi." Again, Sydney was barely paying attention to them. Her focused remained locked on her laptop.

"Are you even listening? If I'm boring you that much, you can leave." Kairi scowled.

"We're in her house." Cade shook her head at Kairi's suddenly rude attitude.

Suddenly wasn't a good way to describe it. Ever since Kairi became pregnant three months ago, her attitude had taken a turn for the worse. She'd lost any semblance of the bright, cheery girl she was before. Pregnant women were supposed to get moody sometimes, sure, but this was ridiculous.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'm supposed to be taking it easy." Kairi tossed her hair over her shoulder with another huff.

Their moment ended when a half crying, half gurgling sound came from one of two bassinets set up next to them. Cade and Kairi looked at Sydney expectantly, waiting for her to get up and sooth her infant child.

"Ugh, please shut that thing up," Kairi groaned and covered her ears. "It's giving me a headache."

"Um, Sydney?" Cade waved her hand in front of Sydney's face.

"Huh?" Sydney belatedly registered the crying. "Oh." She moved to pick up a dissatisfied Riley and grabbed a brightly coloured rattle to shake over his head. Riley promptly stopped fussing. His blue and green eyes widened and he reached for his toy, his tiny hands swiping the air with no results.

"What are you working on anyway? You've been distracted all day." Cade leaned over to see what Sydney had been so fixated on this whole time.

Sydney's hand shot over and slammed her laptop shut before Cade could even get a glimpse of it. "It's nothing."

"Clearly not. You're acting crazier than Kairi."

"Hey! I'm not crazy. I'm pregnant."

Sydney kept her face away from them and continued to entertain Riley. "It's a work thing. Sky's supposed to be helping me, but Anna is still... recovering, and he hasn't been able to leave home much. It's really not that big of a deal."

Cade eyed her with uncertainty. "Whatever you say."

"Anyway, I get to find out the gender of my baby at my next ultrasound appointment!" Kairi clapped her hands. "I really hope it's a girl, especially since boys seem to cry so much." She stared at Riley with disdain.

Sydney rolled her eyes. "All babies cry, Kairi. And if you haven't noticed, he isn't crying anymore. Riley loves his rattle, don't you?" Sydney grinned for her son making Riley giggle. "See? Riley's my little sweetheart. Yes, you are."

"I don't know why you bother talking to him. It's not like he can respond to you," Kairi spoke in an annoyed tone.

"Well, studies have shown that parents who talked to their kids a lot as infants have higher IQs and a larger vocabulary than other children," Cade suggested.

"See? I talk to him so that one day he'll be a super genius. Isn't that right, Riley? Are you going to be mommy's little brainiac? Maybe you'll even put Uncle Sam and Aunt Cade out of business."

Cade scoffed. "We'll see about that. The commission we got on our last invention for the US government was more than generous." Cade couldn't help but grin as she watched Sydney play with Riley. "But more scientists in the world wouldn't hurt. There is a significant shortage of STEM students nowadays."

"Why does the conversation keep changing to things I don't care about?" Kairi pouted. "Can we focus on me for like, two seconds? I'm practically dying over here."

Sydney and Cade both visibly tensed up in irritation. Their jaws clenched, holding back any comments they were about to make. Six more months. They only had to put up with it for six more months. After that, Kairi should be back to her normal always happy self. At least, they hoped she would. The desire to put her back in her place couldn't be held down forever.

* * *

Fred now had a deeper understanding of karma.

He reflected on the conversation he had had with Joe and Sam a few months back when he first told them that Kairi was pregnant. Fred insisted that it wouldn't be a girl. He'd even taunted Joe about all the girly things and games he had to play with Jade. Thinking of Joe sitting down for a tea party still made Fred snicker from time to time.

But now Fred was starting to regret his words and images of himself sitting down for a tea party with a little girl filled his mind.

Today was the day he and Kairi were learning the gender of their baby. And of course with Fred's luck, it was...

"A girl!" Kairi bounced up and down in her seat. Her eyes were wide and her whole body shook. "This is amazing! Just think of all the outfits I can make for her! Oh! We can paint the nursery that pretty, soft pink colour I liked. I'm so happy right now. Aren't you?"

"Of course." Fred threw his arm over Kairi's shoulder and kissed her temple.

And Fred was happy, a little disappointed, but happy nonetheless. He may not have a son to take to all the big sporting events, or to teach all the cheat codes to his favourite fighting game, but he was still going to a have a child. Tea parties couldn't be that, right?

Kairi was still babbling on about all the things she wanted to do with her future daughter. Makeovers, trips to the mall, gossiping about boys. It all seemed a little overwhelming to Fred, but he loved seeing Kairi so happy like this. He had been effected by her sour mood too, and having her back to her old self, at least somewhat, was nice. He much preferred this Kairi.

So they were going to have a mini-Kairi. But who knew, maybe his daughter would actually be into sports. But with Kairi as its mother, Fred had his doubts. Still, there was that slim possibility that Fred clung to.

* * *

Fred absolutely loved his new job. It was everything he hoped it would be and more. His favourite part, besides the money and free tickets to any and all sporting events, was choosing what girls to put in the commercials. Every so often he and a team of other media executives would interview young actresses and models looking for their big break on television. Today was one of those days.

For the most part, the girls were kind and down-to-earth, aware of how appearance base it all was. They didn't exactly love it, but if they were pretty enough to get the job, no one ever complained. These types of advertisements always had the best responses from their target audience, and if the people wanted it, Fred was more than happy to give it.

Fred had never told Kairi all of his career tasks, specifically this one. It's not that if he told Kairi she'd get upset, she wasn't the jealous type, but Fred still had the feeling that Kairi shouldn't know, especially given her pregnancy attitude. And unless Fred told Kairi, she would never find out. She had never come to visit him at work. She knew where his office was, but she was usually busy with her own job. Though some days, like today, her pregnancy symptoms went into overdrive and she chose to stay home.

"Out of all the girls we've seen, I think Miranda is the top contender," one of Fred's coworkers spoke. "She's got the most experience and she actually knew a thing or two about football, which is a lot better than most of the other candidates."

"You like her because she looks like your wife," a different coworker teased. "But she is a good choice. Smart, experiences, she gets my vote."

Other members of the meeting mumbled their agreement. With their new ad girl chosen, the meeting was adjourned. Fred was just getting up to leave when his assistant stopped him.

His assistant was a young college student who was only interning in the offices for the summer. He wasn't the smartest kid in the world, but he was energetic and handsome. He reminded Fred of himself at that age, which was only five years younger than the age Fred currently was.

"Excuse me, sir. You have a visitor her to see you." His assistant turned to lead Fred to his visitor.

Fred followed his assistant back to Fred's office. "Visitor? I didn't think I had any more meetings today."

"Oh, she's not here for a meeting."

"She?" Fred immediately thought it was another girl who was coming to audition for the TV spot who had been running late. He wasn't going to enjoy telling her that the position had already been filled.

"Yes, sir. You see, it's-"

"Prince!" Fred soon himself in a tight hug from his wife.

Fred nodded to his assistant to leave them alone and was grateful when he shut the door on his way out.

A list of reasons why Kairi had decided to show up while Fred was at work ran through his head. Something was wrong with the baby, something was wrong with Kairi, or she'd found out what Fred's job was forcing him to do today and she was not happy. Fred inwardly cringed, imagining what Kairi would do to him. The old Kairi would do nothing, but the pregnant, temperamental Kairi might not.

"Princess," Fred put on a grin, "what a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"

Kairi gave him a cheeky grin. "Guess."

Fred paused. Kairi didn't seem angry or upset so it clearly wasn't any of the reasons he had initially thought of. Then what could it be? "Uh..."

"I can't wait. I'll just tell you," Kairi hurriedly spoke and placed her hands on her baby bump. "I felt her kick! I actually felt it! Usually it's only a flutter and I can't tell if it's really her or not, but this time I'm sure it was her. I came all the way down here so you could feel it too."

Before Fred could even blink, Kairi pulled his hand onto her stomach grinning wildly the whole time.

At first, Fred could feel nothing. He was beginning to think Kairi had just imagined it, when he felt it. A small poke coming from inside Kairi's stomach. At this point, Fred had seen his daughter on a sonogram, even heard her heartbeat, but neither of those things compared to this. It was the smallest little kick, and yet Fred was floored by how amazing it felt.

Fred laughed, not able to hide his joy. "Novella, that's fantastic!"

Another kick came, stronger than the first. Fred was genuinely surprised at the strength the baby had. He never thought it would feel that powerful.

"I know!" Kairi matched his excitement. "I'm sorry I had to interrupt your work day. I hope you weren't doing anything important."

"Nothing is as important to me as you and our daughter." Fred winked at her. "You can visit me any time you like."

* * *

In all of Joe, Sam, and Fred's time travelling adventures, Fred prided himself on how often he had remained calm. Sure, he had his moments, but he was nowhere near as bad as Sam was. Fred was good about staying cool in stressful times.

This was not one of those times.

His foot tapped the floor faster than a rabbit on speed. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck and he didn't even bother to wipe it away. He had to remind himself to breathe.

He was not ready. How was anybody expected to be ready to be a parent after only forty weeks? That was not enough time! Fred didn't know what, but he was going to do something wrong. He just knew it. He would drop his daughter. He would overheat the bottle. He wouldn't hear her cries and she'd go hungry.

Fred needed to get some fresh air, but he had been sent out to get a cup of ice chips for Kairi since the epidural prevented her from consuming anything else. He would be expected to return soon.

Kairi, for the most part, had been doing surprisingly well, except for the expletive-laden yells at every contraction. She seemed more concerned with getting the baby out of her. Fred didn't want that at all, not yet at least. He needed more time.

Fred decided to go for a walk. He wouldn't take long and he'd be back before anyone even knew he was gone. He headed to the main waiting area where all his and Kairi's friends and family were gathered. It was a similar situation to when everyone had come together when Joe and Sydney were about to have Jade.

Fred froze. Joe had been through this before. Twice. Joe could help Fred. He hoped.

He spotted his friends sitting together on the opposite end of the lobby. Sydney and Cade were playing with the twins, holding on to their hands to help them stand up right and walk around. Joe was behind them with Jade sitting on his lap as he talked to Sam. Fred hurried over to them.

"Hey, Joe. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Fred hid his wringing hands behind his back so Joe wouldn't see them.

"Sure." Joe picked Jade up and set her down near Sydney. "Jade, why don't you help your mom teach your siblings to walk?"

Jade frowned as she watched her younger siblings, as if that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Fred led Joe away from the others so they wouldn't overhear anything they said. "I need your help," Fred pleaded. He hoped his voice didn't sound as panicked as he felt.

Joe jumped at Fred's sudden desperation. "Okay, calm down. With what?"

"I don't know! Everything! What do I do? I'm not ready to be a dad!" Fred hands raked through his hair, turning it into a completely dishevelled mess. Fred stopped trying to hide his nervousness, there was no point. It didn't help that Joe had started laughing at him.

"That's why you dragged me over here?" Joe continued to laugh. "Dude, what you're going through is normal. Remember how nervous I was before Jade was born? It's okay to feel this way. Trust me, it'll all go away the moment you hold your daughter."

"Hold her? I can't hold her. What if I drop her?"

"You're not going to drop her."

"But I could!"

Joe sighed and shook his head. "You need to relax, Fred. Which is a lot easier said than done, I know. Kairi is going to need you."

Fred took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down. "I know, I know. But I have no idea what to do in there. You have to help me. Come with me!"

"I'm not going anywhere, and I doubt Kairi would want me in there anyway." Joe pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, when it comes time, and it will be here before you know it, Kairi is going to need you. All you have to do is hold her hand and talk her through it, she'll probably yell and scream at you, but you just have to push through it. The doctor will ask you if you want to take a look and see the baby come out. Say no."

"Why?"

"Just say no. Trust me, that it something you never want to see and can never unsee." Joe shook his head to clear his thoughts. "The important thing to remember is that no matter how bad you think it is for you, it is a million times worse for her. You can't give up because she can't give up. It'll be over and done within an hour and soon you'll be holding your new baby girl. Believe me when I say, there is no greater feeling in the world than holding your child for the first time."

Fred nodded, trusting Joe's advice because it was all he could do.

"You have a name picked out for her, right?"

Again, Fred nodded.

"Good, just focus on the moment you look into her eyes for the first time and speak her name." Joe placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You can do this."

* * *

Fred never knew Kairi had so many swear words in her vocabulary. Half of the things that came out of her mouth during delivery were things Fred had never heard before. Which is saying something considering the amount of angry, screaming sports fans he'd been around.

But the moment it was all over and the room was filled with the cries of his newborn daughter, it was as if someone flipped a switch inside Kairi. Almost instantaneously, she reverted back to her old self. Any trace of the crazy, rude, and malicious behaviour she'd had while pregnant vanished. Fred had never felt so relieved in his life.

The doctor said that the baby was a perfectly healthy and beautiful baby girl.

Beautiful didn't even began to describe her. As Fred held her for the first time, he realized how true Joe's words were. There were no words to describe how it felt to be holding her for the first time. The warmth of a thousand suns exploded inside his heart. Fred wanted to do everything he could to protect her and give her anything her little heart desired.

She stared up at Fred with light grey-blue eyes, similar to the ones he had. Small tufts of white-blonde hair stuck out of her pale-skinned head. Her head was still odd-shaped from being born, but the doctor said that would go away soon enough.

Fred couldn't wait for all the adventures they would have together. "Jessica Eloise, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

* * *

**A/N - Say hello to Miss Jessica Eloise. She's going to be a fun character. ;) One more chapter left, and then I can start posting _Dead Debts_! It'll be nice to get back to a main story and plot. Please, leave a review and thanks for reading!**


	25. Time Magic Lessons

**Time Magic Lessons**

"These self-defense lessons cannot keep ending like this." Sydney shifted under Joe's weight as he loomed over her.

Joe laughed as he continued to nuzzle and kiss her neck, his teeth occasionally adding a nibble here and there. His hands wandered down to her waist and slowly began to lift up her shirt. "Oh, come on. How often do we get moments alone together anymore? The kids are all taking naps. I say we take advantage of it." In one swift movement, Joe had taken off Sydney's shirt. His eyes drifted down to her bra. He half-glared, as if annoyed by its presence.

Sydney shook her head with a smile on her face. "You need to learn at least some basic self-defense. Have you even picked up anything?"

Joe stopped his passionate kisses and roaming hands. "Sure."

In the blink of an eye, Joe had switched positions. His legs restrained Sydney's legs together tightly and his hands shot up and pinned Sydney's wrists above her head on the floor.

"See? I got this whole self-defense thing down." Joe put on a cocky grin. "Now I can restrain you at any time I please."

"Oh?" Sydney said, a sly grin slowly appearing.

Joe nodded, clearly proud of himself. "I- _oomph_!"

Sydney hovered over top of him, holding him down in the same position he had her in before. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You still have a lot to learn, like not to be so cocky. And I've yet to teach you how to fight back."

"Maybe I wanted to be on bottom." Joe winked at her.

Sydney rolled her eyes, but grinned at him anyway and leaned down to give him a kiss.

Their romantic moment was quickly ended when a loud crying erupted from the baby monitor.

Joe groaned and his hands dropped from Sydney's chest and butt to the floor. "Their timing could not be worse."

Sydney laughed and put her shirt back on. She rolled off of Joe and stood up. "It's just Lexi."

Joe stood up and joined his wife. "How can you tell?"

Sydney shrugged. "I don't know, maternal instinct? Lexi's cries are higher pitched than Riley's. Besides, Lexi is the one who's teething already. She just needs soothing. Come on, you know if we don't take care of her quickly, Riley will start crying too."

Joe followed Sydney out of her dance studio that they sometimes used for Joe's self-defense training.

"So, since I have self-defense down, can we start some time magic lessons?" Joe wrapped an around Sydney's waist.

Sydney sighed. "I just told you that you still have a lot to learn. You have a lot of work to do before you can start learning any time magic."

"But if I learned time magic, I could use it to defend myself."

"I think you need to learn to throw a punch or two first. Magic should not be used only as a weapon. It's very powerful, Joe. It's not for the weak of heart. Magic is power, and power is dangerous. I'm not ready to teach you magic yet anyway."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said," Sydney quickly interrupted him.

"Sydney, it's been over a year since we got back from After Time and Isis marked me as a Warp Wizard." Joe sighed. "If you haven't gotten used to it by now, when will you? Whatever the other Warp Wizards are like, I'm not like that. You have to trust me."

"I know that." Sydney glanced over her shoulder at him as she stepped into Lexi's nursery. She gently picked up the fussy Lexi and slowly tried to soothe her in her arms. Sydney smiled down on her youngest daughter.

"So why won't you show me any time magic then?"

The smile dropped from Sydney's face. "Fine. If you want to learn time magic that badly, then you'll learn time magic. Head back upstairs while I take care of Lexi and I'll meet you there when I'm done."

"Really?" Joe perked up. "You're really going to teach me time magic?"

"I suggest you go before I change my mind." Sydney sat down in a rocking chair with Lexi still in her arms. She reached for a neon pink teething ring to give to Lexi.

Joe grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning and practically ran upstairs to wait for Sydney.

It took almost thirty minutes for her to return and when she did, she appeared to be very unsure of herself.

Joe offered her a comforting grin. "I was worried you had changed your mind."

Sydney nervously scratched at her wrists. "I figured I should check on Riley too."

"In other words, you were stalling." Joe frowned. "If you don't think you can do this, I could try to find somebody else to teach me time magic."

Sydney shook her head. "No. I told you that I'd teach you and I meant it. You need to be taught this stuff. I just need to get over it and stop procrastinating with it."

"This is clearly not something you can just 'get over'."

"I'm trying." Sydney heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on the floor next to Joe, still occasionally scratching at her wrists. "It's just that every time I think about Warp Wizards, this overwhelming sense of anger and fear comes over me. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop it. All I end up with is a raging migraine."

Joe reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay. The reason _you're_ teaching me is so I don't end up like the other Warp Wizards. I'll just be a time magician, and every magician needs a beautiful assistant." He cupped her chin in his hand.

Sydney smiled softly and nodded her head once. "Right." She paused to take a deep breath. "First, you need to be able to connect to time. Once you can easily and quickly do that, we'll move on to the more challenging things like warping across time as well as to other worlds and warp illusions."

"Warp illusions?" Joe lifted an eyebrow at her. Joe had never heard the term before, but it sounded fascinating and Joe couldn't wait to learn it.

Sydney's grin widened. "You'll pick up more as we go. There's a lot to learn. But like I said, you need to be able to call time to you at any moment first."

"Call time to me? You mean like that thing you do with the time currents?"

Sydney nodded. "Exactly. But you need to be able to do it instantaneously without having to close your eyes and concentrate on it for ten minutes."

"And how do I do that?"

"If you keep calling it to you, time will recognize you and it will come quicker each time. Learning a few Latin commands wouldn't hurt either." Sydney flicked her wrist and a few wisps swirled around her, caressing her face.

Joe studied the glowing air around her. He'd never noticed it before, but he could feel the time energy moving, almost as if it was an extension of himself, but that extension felt… tainted. He looked closer at the green wisps Sydney had summoned. On the surface, they were a brilliant green colour, but if he looked close enough he could see a dark base underneath. Joe shook his head, probably nothing.

"How come you can do it so easily?" Joe closed his eyes and reached out to the time energy around them. He felt it shift, but it didn't move toward him.

"Years of training. And gods are automatically connected to time. It's one of the things that is different about our abilities compared to Warp Wizards."

"That makes sense. When we were in After Time and you had me warp us out, I saw strands of time energy flowing into Kerk and JJ."

"That's their lifelines. Cut a time god off from time energy and you'll kill them. Time flows through their veins. Warp Wizards aren't joined to time like the gods. You have to force a connection. Having gone into the time plane should make it a little easier for you since you've already forged that bridge once."

"Time plane?" Joe peeked one eye open to look at her. He was glad to see a few wisps of pure green time energy dancing around the room. Unlike what he felt with Sydney's, Joe's felt pure and it showed in their solid green colouring. "I think you're going to need to write a dictionary for me so I can keep all these terms straight."

Sydney laughed softly. "You'll get it eventually. There's a lot to grasp. The time plane is that place you went into in After Time, where you saw all the time energy flowing around and attached to JJ and Kerk. While your body stayed in this plane of existence, your spirit went into the time plane." Sydney paused and looked around the now green mist filled room. "Not bad. But you'll need to get quicker at it."

Joe sighed. "I'm trying. This meditating thing is hard."

Sydney laughed. "Well there's your problem. Stop meditating. Meditating is for connecting with yourself. You need to connect to time. Reach out, not in. Try using some Latin." Sydney waved her hands in a small starburst motion and all the time energy Joe had summoned up disappeared from the room.

"Latin… _right_." He looked at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

Sydney smiled and shook her head. "I'll make you a cheat sheet of basic Latin commands. For now, just think _veni_."

Joe closed his eyes again and mentally felt around the room for time energy. _Veni_…

He felt a surge of warmth flow into him, the same warmth that always came when he used his magic. He focused on that feeling and used it draw the time energy in.

He opened his eyes and immediately grinned. Time currents flowed and spun around them.

"See? It's not that hard. Soon you'll be able to do it without thinking about it or closing your eyes."

Joe groaned and fell back on the floor. "I didn't think there would be so much work involved."

"No one said this would be easy. Relax, you'll get it eventually. Don't be so hard on yourself. No one gets mastery magic skills immediately." Sydney leaned over and gazed down at Joe with a devilish grin. "And for every trick you master, you may receive a reward."

"I don't suppose I can get a reward for today's work?"

"Hmm… I don't know…"

Joe smirked and pulled her down for a deep kiss.

Sydney giggled and smiled into the kiss. "This again? At this rate we'll never get through any of your lessons."

Joe spoke between light kisses down her neck. His hands found their home just below her hips. "Like I said, we don't get enough alone time anymore. We need to take advantage of every second of it."

* * *

**A/N - This is the shortest chapter I've written in a while. :P But it's the final set-up chapter before _Dead Debts_! So look for that next! I'l try to get it out as soon as possible! Don't forget to review, favourite, and follow! Thanks for reading!**


	26. So We Beat On Part 1

**So We Beat On**

Anna heard the boys' cries, but she couldn't bring herself to get up and soothe them. She knew her heart was supposed to ache at the sound of her children being unhappy, but hers wasn't. She pulled the sheets of her and Skyler's bed higher over her head. If she pretended not to hear it, it wasn't really happening.

She reluctantly opened her eyes and saw two pink pills on top of a night stand. They were sitting next to a tall glass of water, Skyler's not-so-subtle reminder for her to take her medicine. She forced herself to sit up in bed and quickly swallowed the pills. What was the point? It had been six weeks since the twins were born and she met what she imagined hell to be face to face. Her depression had never wavered. She no longer expected the twins to die at any moment, but she knew she wasn't meant to be a mother. She couldn't be alone with them for more than five minutes without the desire to run away creeping into her head. She barely held them. If she touched them, she felt like she would hurt them.

The crying stopped. Skyler must have calmed them down. If Anna wasn't going to be there for Carter and Connor, at least they had a good father to take care of them. Skyler wasn't expected to work again for another month or two. He and Sydney had agreed to take time off to take care of their respective children.

Anna debated whether or not she wanted to get out of bed. She could just stay in her bedroom all day and never have to worry about motherhood again. Life would be easier that way. She checked her phone for the time and saw that it was almost noon. Had she really slept in that late?

A moment later, the bedroom door creaked open and Skyler's face appeared through the space. His lips quirked up in a small smile when he saw that Anna was awake. "Hey, beautiful. How are you doing?" He stepped into the room and Anna watched his eyes dart over to the night stand to make sure she had taken her anti-depressants.

"Fine," Anna lied. This had become a regular back and forth for them. Skyler, ever the attentive husband, would keep a close eye on Anna and ask her how she was doing or if she was getting better and Anna would lie and say she was okay. Throughout all of this, Skyler never lost hope that Anna would recover from her postpartum depression. She wondered how he did it.

Anna could tell that Skyler didn't believe her, but he smiled at her anyway. "I was worried you weren't going to get up in time for your appointment. We need to leave soon."

"Appointment?" Anna tilted her head. She had no memory of having an appointment today.

"You have your six-week postnatal check-up today. The doctors need to make sure everything healed the way it was supposed to and..." he paused and ran his hand through his hair. Normally, Skyler would go out of his way to make sure his hair was perfect, but he had been so busy taking care of the twins that his hair had turned into a complete mess. "They need to make sure the Paxil is working. It is working, right?"

Anna pictured the tiny little pills. She didn't feel like they were working, but Skyler didn't need to know that. He had enough to worry about as it was. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she wanted them to work. "I told you I was feeling fine, didn't I? The pills are working, Skyler. No need to worry."

Skyler sighed and sat down on the bed next to her. "Anna, you have to be honest. If not with me, than at least be honest with the doctors. They want to help you. I want you to get better. The twins need you to get better. If the medicine isn't doing its job, you have to tell the doctors."

Anna stared at the floor. She couldn't look Skyler in the eyes when she lied to him. "I said the pills are working. I'm getting better every day."

Skyler looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, but decided against it. "Whatever you say." He gently pressed his lips to her temple.

* * *

The doctor's office was frigid and smelled of antiseptic wipes. Anna never liked going to the doctor, even when she was kid. They always made her feel uncomfortable. They always called you back before the doctor was ready for you and you would end up sitting in the examination room for almost a half-hour before you finally saw the doctor. By then, whatever you had come in for would be gone.

Today had been a little different. She had gotten called back, and after the standard check of her height, weight, and blood pressure, she was shown into the room where the doctor was already waiting for her.

"Hello, Anna." Her doctor smiled at her in greeting. Her name was Dr. Madill and she was the same OB/GYN all her friends had gone to. "How are you doing today?"

Anna lifted her shoulders and shrugged. "Good, I guess."

Dr. Madill raised an eyebrow at her. "You guess? That doesn't sound like a very confident answer. I'm your doctor, Anna. You can tell me anything and I promise I won't break the doctor-patient confidentiality code."

"I'm just tired is all. The anti-depressants make me drowsy." Anna wanted to get this visit over and done with as soon as possible. She was tired of people asking how she was feeling. Especially when they already knew the answer.

"Well, I can recommend a different brand, but almost any anti-depressant will make you drowsy unfortunately. We'll discuss you're medication later. First, I need to do the physical examination. Please lie on your back."

Anna did as she was told, the paper sheet crinkling underneath her. She never understood why they used paper. Wasn't it bad for the environment? They had to go through tons of it every year. And it was uncomfortable to lay on.

Dr. Madill's hands were warm, and Anna was very thankful for that. The physical examination went by quickly. Her C-section incision was healing nicely and would finish healing the next week or two, though Anna would have the scar for the rest of her life. The thought made her cringe. Maybe she should get a tattoo to cover it up like Sydney had for her scars.

Everything about her body was recovering just like it was supposed to. Everything physical that was. Anna knew the mental examination was coming up next and she was already preparing her answers.

"Your husband tells me the boys are doing well." Dr. Madill said casually as she threw away her gloves and grabbed a clipboard. "They've gained plenty of weight and they're starting to respond to their environment. Apparently, they're quite fond of his piano playing."

A soft smile came to Anna's lips. Almost every night, a soothing yet upbeat melody would fill their penthouse. Skyler would play anything from show tune ballads to Billy Joel for the boys. Skyler had told Anna how the boys would smack their lips and wave their arms as the music flowed through the air.

"How often are you with Connor and Carter?" Dr. Madill poised her pen above her clipboard and waited for Anna's answer.

Anna took a deep breath. Here it goes. Her rehearsed lines started to pour from her mouth. "I see the boys several times a day, but Skyler is always there with me. I've started to hold them more, and I haven't thought of running away in a week. I take my Paxil every day. It's working really well."

Dr. Madill pursed her lips, but she didn't say anything. She jotted a few things down on her clipboard. When she finished, she faced Anna with a slight frown. "There are people close to you who feel differently, Anna."

Anna did an exaggerated eye roll. "Skyler is just being overdramatic."

"It's not just Skyler. I've spoken to a few other members of your family as well. They're all concerned for you and the children." The doctor sighed and placed her clipboard on her lap. "I need you to be truthful."

Anna was confused. Who else would Dr. Madill have talked to about Anna's mental health? Then she remembered that Dr. Madill was Joe and Sydney's OB/GYN as well. Her brother and sister-in-law would have been here a few weeks ago for their six-week check-up. Of course her doctor would have ask them about Anna. "I am being truthful," Anna persisted to lie.

Dr. Madill smacked her lips disapprovingly. "Anna, the others may be able to tell me what they see from you, but only you can tell me how you really feel. If you truly think the pills are doing their job, then that's fine. I will continue to administer the same doses. However, if you change your mind and feel that maybe it's for the best if you received a new prescription, I can do that too. But you need to tell me to do it."

Anna bit her lip. This was it. The moment of truth. She knew the pills weren't working. Her postpartum depression had not improved in the slightest. But did she want it to? The idea of mothering her children terrified her. She had nearly killed them once when they were born. Granted, it hadn't been her fault that the twins were premature, but Anna couldn't help but blame herself for it. Was she capable of being a mom? Anna stared at the ground. She couldn't bring herself to look anywhere else. "I guess my antidepressants could be a little stronger..."

The corner of Dr. Madill's mouth twitched up in a soft smile. "I'll increase your dosage from twenty mg of Paxil to forty mg. I'll see you back in two weeks to see how you're adjusting to your new medicine."

* * *

Anna walked out of the examination room with her new prescription in hand. She was to discard her old pills and start taking the new dosage immediately. Dr. Madill warned her that the higher prescription could increase the side effects. That meant more drowsiness and nausea was to be expected.

Anna couldn't tell if she regretted her decision or not. She could handle the physical side effects. She was sure of that. What she wasn't sure if she could handle was the emotional side effects. What if the antidepressants did start to work? How quickly would Anna recover? Would she need to take them the rest of her life? How guilty would she feel for not taking care of her babies?

The door swung open with a groan and Anna was back in the lobby. Skyler was waiting for her, and the boys were sleeping in their stroller. Skyler glanced up from the magazine he was scanning when Anna entered the room.

"Hey." He smiled. "How'd it go?"

Anna held up the small piece of paper in her hand. "I have a new prescription to fill. Dr. Madill thinks the increased dosage should make me progress quicker. How are they doing?"

Anna could tell it took Skyler a second to realize she was talking about the twins. it wasn't often she asked about their wellbeing. His smiled increased. "Carter and Connor are doing great. They've been sleeping since we got here. I'll have to wake them soon to feed them."

Anna nodded like this was something she understood, which of course it wasn't.

Skyler rubbed the back of his neck and thought about his words before he said them. "It's a nice day. After we get your prescription filled, do you want to go for a walk through Central Park with the boys? We could all use the fresh air."

Anna rubbed her arm. "A walk would be nice."

Skyler's eyes lit up, pleasantly surprised by her answer. He stood, reached for her hand, and gave it a loving squeeze. "I'm glad you asked for a new prescription. I think it'll be good for you."

"Me too." Anna said the words with ease. The problem was, did she really believe them?

* * *

**A/N - Since I can't post the next Dead Debts chapter until I finish the Mystery Girl rewrite, I decided to go back to this for a few chapters. The rewrite is very close to done, and I should be able to update Dead Debts again soon.**

**Anyway, don't forget to leave a review! They mean a lot to me! Thanks to those who have reviewed and thanks to everyone for reading!**


	27. So We Beat On Part 2

**So We Beat On Part 2**

Skyler's fingers ran up and down the piano, producing an up-tempo dramatic melody. He wasn't the best at improv, but he knew enough about chord progressions that he could get by. His fingers slowed their wild pace and he finished on an E flat chord.

"Not bad," Sydney scribbled something down on the sheet music in front of her. "I still think we need a key change though. The act one finale needs to end on a powerful chord and a key change can emphasize that."

Skyler distractedly nodded his head. Sydney's words were background noise to him. He glanced up at Carter and Connor who were babbling in their incoherent seven-week-old language. They were laying in their bassinets next to Riley and Lexi. Jade sat between them pointing out pictures in one of her favourite books to them. Though the cousins were too young to really play together, the adults figured it was best to get them together now so they could grow up together. It also gave the parents a chance to see each other. Skyler hadn't seen Sydney in over two weeks. It felt weird to be without his best friend for that long.

The twins were growing fast. The doctor said it was a healthy weight gain, especially since they were both born underweight. Skyler stared at his sons with a slight smile on his face. Raising them was anything but easy. He'd practically become a single parent with Anna still recovering from her PPD. The corner of Skyler's lips turned down. The past seven weeks had been rough.

"Did you hear me? Skyler?" Sydney waved her hand in front of Skyler's face to snap him out of his trance. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Skyler started and shook his head. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you could try it again, but this time start in A flat major." Sydney set down the sheet music, concern for her friend written all over her face. "Are you okay? You seem out of it today."

"I'm fine," Skyler quickly reassured her. "The boys woke me up three times last night. I'm just tired. You wanted to try A flat major?" He placed his hands back on the piano and played a few chords to adjust to the new key.

Sydney placed her hands on top of Skyler's to stop him. "How about we take a break? It's lunch time and I need to feed Lexi and Riley. Besides, Joe should be back with the subs we ordered any minute now. You know, I think he's actually starting to like you. He complimented you the other day. Not to your face obviously, but it's a start."

"I find that hard to believe." Skyler scoffed. "The last time he saw me all he did was glare and interrogate me about Anna."

"He's worried about her. We all are. You can't blame him." Sydney pressed her lips into a thin line. "How is she doing?"

"Better." Skyler let out a heavy sigh. "The doctor gave her some new pills and she's been taking them every day. She's not sleeping as much as she used to which is good, and she actually held Connor for a little bit the other day. Not for very long, but still. It's an improvement."

"And what about you? Everyone always asks who the person who's depressed is doing, but they never seem to realize how much it affects the people around them. How are you doing?" Sydney's bright blue eyes regarded Skyler with worry.

Skyler ran a hand through his thick hair. "I'm surviving. I don't really have much of a choice. It's really hard sometimes, but someone has to take care of Carter and Connor, and Anna isn't exactly helpful. But it would be nice to have five minutes to just breathe, you know? I can't complain. Whatever I'm going through, Anna has it worse."

"You have every right to complain, Sky. You're not perfect. This has been just as hard on you as it has been on her. It's important that you're there for Anna when she needs you, but it's also important that you let yourself feel. You can't keep your emotions bottled up. It won't end well."

Skyler dragged a hand over his face. He understood Sydney's point, but that didn't change the fact that he felt guilty every time he wanted to take a break from fatherhood. "I just wish I could know what she was going through. I want to help her, but I feel so useless. It kills me to see her like this."

"Well you're not going to ever know what she's going through, so stop trying to understand it. Trust me, depression isn't easy to empathize with and it's hard to be there for the ones we care about." Sydney developed a far-way look in her eyes.

Skyler realized that Sydney knew exactly what she was talking about. He'd been with her through enough dark and depressive times to know that she had first-hand experience with depression. He'd never been able to help her either. If it weren't for Joe, Skyler wasn't sure Sydney would have ever gotten better.

"The best thing you can do for Anna is be by her side and support her," Sydney went on after coming back to the present. "Make sure she takes her medication and gently work with her until she's better. Don't expect her to go back to her old self either. She could make a complete recovery or she could come out of this with a deep emotional scar. Do you love her?"

"Of course I do." Skyler didn't even have to think about his answer. He loved Anna with all his heart. Nothing would change that.

Sydney smiled. "Then I guarantee you've already been a huge help to her. Let her know every day that you love her and don't let her know that her depression is a burden to you. It will help more than you think."

Skyler subconsciously messed with his hair as he thought over Sydney's words. Was he really helping Anna that much? It didn't seem like he was, but Anna had been getting better. Skyler desperately wanted her to improve. Not just for his sake, but for the twins too. They needed a motherly figure in their life. Skyler would never give up on Anna. She would get better. He had to believe in her. Even if she didn't believe in herself.

* * *

Anna's favourite thing about the penthouse was the view from her and Skyler's bedroom. Their home was on Broadway, and it was just a few blocks north of Times Square, close enough to see the dazzling lights. Tonight the view was special, because for the first time in a long time, Anna felt happy.

She'd been on the increased dosage of Paxil for almost two weeks now. Her check-up was tomorrow and Anna felt good. She didn't have the desire to stay in bed all day, and she felt calm around her sons. She hadn't been alone with them yet, but she was still improving day by day.

The sound of running water filled the room as Skyler took his shower before going to bed. Anna smiled just thinking about her husband. He'd been great to her and the twins the past eight weeks. She couldn't have asked for anyone better to be by her side through all of this. She knew it had been hard on him, though he was reluctant to let it show. He'd pushed on, taking care of Carter and Connor when Anna couldn't.

Skyler had just put the twins to bed a half an hour ago. They had been restless lately and weren't sleeping through the night very well, but Skyler had gotten up every time to check on them and soothe them until they went back to sleep. Sometimes Anna felt like she didn't deserve someone as amazing as Skyler. Other times she didn't know what she would do without him.

A loud wailing flowed from the baby monitor on their night stand without warning. Anna's body went rigid, and she stared at the baby monitor like it was a bomb. She glanced at the bathroom door. Skyler had just started his shower, he wouldn't be out for a while, and there was no way he could hear the twins' crying from in there.

Anna took a deep breath to calm herself down. Her anxiety made her heartbeat quicken to a painful rate. Her palms became sweaty as she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists. Anna reluctantly dragged her feet out of her bedroom and towards the twins' room.

She could count on one hand the amount of times she had been in their nursery, and every time, Skyler had been with her. Being in there alone made her feel like she had entered unknown territory. She didn't know where anything was. What if they needed changing or fed? Anna wouldn't be able to find the diapers or their bottles.

Anna swallowed the lump in her throat and tentatively inched towards the boys' cribs. Both of them were crying their hearts out. Skyler had told Anna that the boys always cried together at the same time. They had a synchronicity that was weird even for twin standards. How did he always manage to calm them down at the same time?

Her arms reached over into Carter's crib and as carefully as she could, she picked him up. Anna hoped that would be enough to stop the crying, but of course it wasn't. Anna bit her lip and shifted Carter into one arm and awkwardly bent over to pick up Connor. Balancing the twins at the same time was not an easy task.

A million deadly scenarios flashed through Anna's mind. What if she dropped them? What if they were only crying because she was holding them? What did they want? Why couldn't they just stop crying?

Did they need changing? Anna sniffed the air, but no foul odors met her nose and they didn't feel wet in her arms. Were they hungry? Anna had no way of knowing and she didn't know where their bottles were to feed them. Anna groaned. She couldn't do this. She wasn't meant for this. She should just set the twins down, leave, and never look back.

But she couldn't do that. She couldn't leave Skyler and even though she was unwilling to admit it, Anna was starting to feel a bond with her sons. She started to rock them slowly in her arms and made gentle shushing noises. That was how you soothed fussy babies, right?

The twins quieted down quicker than Anna expected. Their eyes gradually drifted shut, and soon they were asleep in her arms. She let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't even realized she was holding in. She cautiously put them back in their respective cribs. Her gaze lingered on her sons. The increased dosage of her anti-depressants must have been working, because as Anna stared down on her children, she felt blissful and proud of what she and Skyler had created for the first time since they had been born.

"You did well."

Anna jumped from the suddenness of Skyler's voice. She spun around and saw him leaning in the doorway with a soft smile on his face. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Skyler stepped in to the room and closer to Anna, his warm brown eyes alight with love. "I was going to step in and take them from you, but I thought it would be best to let you work things out on your own. I would've intervened if anything went wrong, but you did great."

Anna wrung her hands. "Really? I didn't know what I was doing, but I wanted to help them. I thought they were never going to stop crying."

"Want to know a secret?" Skyler leaned in close to Anna's face. "No parent knows what they're doing. Even I panic a little every time I hear them start to bawl."

Anna couldn't stop the smile from coming to her lips. She glanced over her shoulder at the boys and turned her body back around to get a better look at them. "They're kind of great, aren't they?"

Skyler wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her on the cheek. "They're perfect. Once you get to know them, you'll see."

"I'd like that." Anna was still a long shot from getting back to her normal self, but she felt like she could get there someday. Each day was a little brighter than the last.

* * *

**AN/PSA: If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, get help. It doesn't have to be professional, just talking to a friend can make a big difference.**

**That's it for this mini-story. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!**

**Also, the Mystery Girl rewrite is now posted. So please, check that out and leave a review over there. I will get back to updating Dead Debts next week.**


	28. The Story of Kairi Part 1

**The Story of Kairi Part 1**

I rested my chin in the palm of my hand as I read the book I had grabbed out of my father's shop that morning. It was a fascinating tale about a witch who had fallen in love with a prince, but he didn't return her affection so she crafted a love potion to make him fall in love her. She hired a pageboy to be her assistant, and it was clear to see that the sorceress and her assistant would eventually end up together.

I breathed out a content sigh. Nothing was more magical than love.

"What're you doing, Novella? Reading one of your stupid fairy tales again?" Marco, my younger half-brother, teased me in his whining voice as he came bounding down the stairs. "Why do you read those anyway? Can't get a love life of your own to experience?"

I groaned and tightened the grip on my book, pulling it up to hide my face. If I pretended he wasn't here, maybe he would leave me alone. "Go away, Marco. Don't you have chores to do?"

"Don't you?" Marco put his olive-skinned hands on his hips and matched my attitude with his own. "Or have you been wasting time by reading your little make-believe stories?"

"I got my chores done this morning. I'm done for the day." I stuck my tongue out at Marco. "Maybe if you didn't sleep in until the middle of the day, you could have free time too. Who knows, maybe you could even learn to read."

Marco tugged on his messy black hair and sneered at me. "Shouldn't you be married by now? What's the matter? No men want you? I don't know why anyone would. It's not like you're pretty."

"Marco, leave me alone, and stop being such an _asino_!" I threw my book at Marco in frustration. I didn't need him to remind me of my lack of a love life. I was reminded of that every day I saw a couple walking down the street.

The book soared over his head and collided with the wall behind him, but from the wail he let out, someone would've thought I'd hit him in the face. "_Mamma_! Novella called me an _asino_! And she hit me!" Marco continued his fake bawling until his mother ran into the living room to help him.

I rolled her eyes and slumped down into the loveseat. _Great_, here comes Sarah to soothe Marco and tell me why this is all my fault. "Tattle-tale," I grumbled under my breath. "Why are you always such a cry baby?"

"Novella!" Sarah, my step-mother, scolded me as she bustled into the room to console her sobbing baby boy. "How dare you do that to your brother? He's only seven. You shouldn't be using those words around him." With Sarah's attention on me, Marco paused his fake crying and stuck his tongue out at me over her shoulder. He quickly resumed his tears when Sarah turned back around. "Honestly, Novella. I don't know how you expect to find a husband with that attitude of yours. Ever since you got back from China with your father, you have been insufferable."

I chose to ignore my step-mother and instead rose to pick up my book. My long white-blonde hair swayed behind me as I moved and pushed past Marco and Sarah.

"And that hair of yours," Sarah complained to me as she checked Marco for injuries. "I wish you'd let me cut it or at least braid it. None of the other girls wear their hair that way." Sarah's own black hair was braided into a crown around her head, similar to how most girls were wearing it these days.

"Then it will make me stand out to the men," I responded simply and picked my book up off the floor. I started to head upstairs. Maybe I could get some privacy in my bedroom and finish my book in peace.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sarah stopped me as soon as I put my foot on the first step. "Don't think I'm letting you walk away from this without punishment. Go out and see if you're father needs help in the shop. I'm sure he can find something for you to do."

I wanted to argue, but I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere except in more trouble. "Yes, Sarah." Begrudgingly, I headed into my father's book store.

My father, William, was standing behind the main counter with several stacks of books in front of him. He wrote something down on a piece of paper and slid one of the stacks of books away. He looked up as I reached him. He gave me a puzzled expression, noticing my sour face. "Novella? I thought you were done with your chores for the day. What are you doing out here? Finish that book already?"

I shook my head. "I yelled at Marco, and Sarah sent me out here to find a chore to do as punishment. Do I really have to do something, _papà_? I promise Marco deserved it."

"You said that last time Sarah sent you out here for fighting with him." My father gave me a knowing smile.

"Well he deserves it every time." I crossed her arms in determination. Marco was such a brat. Why didn't he ever get in trouble? "He's the one who should be punished, not me. He was taunting me again, but according to Sarah it's never his fault. I'm the only one to blame."

"Be patient with your brother. He is young and is still learning. You, on the other hand, are smart. Be wise next time and walk away from the fight before it begins. It'll save you a lot of trouble." He gestured to the stack of books he had just pushed away. "Why don't you reshelf those for me? That isn't too much of a punishment, is it?"

I pouted, but grabbed the books anyway and went to put them away like my father had asked. I glanced at their titles. They were all books I had read before. I knew exactly where they went on the shelves. I bent down to slide the first few into their homes.

A chill ran down my spine without warning and the world suddenly blurred around me. I leaned onto the bookshelf for support to wait for it to pass. That was odd. Was I getting sick? A pounding headache rose up in my head. The rest of the books fell out of my arms and crashed onto the floor. A moan escaped my lips, and I stumbled to my knees. What was wrong with me? I never got sick like this.

Apparently, my father had heard the commotion because he abruptly appeared before me to help me stand up. His face was etched with worry. "Novella? Look at me. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I don't- I don't know." I gladly rested on my dad for support. "My head hurts, and I can't see well."

The last thing I saw was my father's concerned brown eyes looking down on me. Then everything went black.

* * *

When I woke again it took me a few minutes to take in my surroundings and figure out where I was. Walls painted by dull colours surrounded me on all sides and simple wooden furniture filled the room. Eventually, I realized that I was alone in my bedroom. My father must have carried me up here and set me down in my bed after I passed out. My thin, red sheets were damp with sweat.

I could hear murmured voices from the other side of the door. I wanted to get up to see who the voices belonged to and what they were talking about, but the moment I tried to sit up, the world spun around me again. Right away, I knew this wasn't a normal sickness.

At least I'll get out of chores for a while_. _The happy image of Marco having to do all my chores until I got better made me smile. The little brat deserved it. He never had to do any of the hard jobs around here. All he was ever assigned to do was sweep while I got stuck with lugging heavy boxes of books around and cooking with Sarah almost every night.

My thoughts were interrupted as my bedroom door creaked open and my father stuck his head in. I perked up and grinned, and he smiled at me daughter in return, but his eyes held a deep depression to them. "_Ciao_, Novella. Are you feeling any better? You've been out for quite some time."

I shrugged. Was I feeling better? My headache had faded, and my vision wasn't blurry anymore, but something felt off. I had a soreness that throbbed throughout my whole body. I felt particularly tender under my armpits. That definitely wasn't normal.

"Has the _medico_ said anything?" I forced herself to sit up in bed, despite my protesting muscles.

There was a worrying pause before my father responded. "Yes..." He entered my room, followed by a tall man with sandy brown hair wearing a floor-length, dark purple robe. I recognized him immediately as Ischia's physician. He was the only doctor on the entire island so most of its citizens knew him well.

I bowed my head to him in respect. "_Buon pomeriggio_, doctor. I hope you are well."

The doctor nodded at me in response and offered me a sympathetic smile. "_Grazi_. Yes, but I'm afraid I cannot say the same for you, Novella." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "After a thorough analysis, I was not able to identify your illness. It is nothing I have seen before. There are rumours of a new disease emerging to the east, and your father tells me you have just returned from China, but I do not know enough about it to administer a proper cure. I suggest applying poultices made of butter, onion, and garlic to the open sores, though I don't know if it will do much."

Open sores? I scanned herself to find out what the doctor was talking about. I yelped when I looked at her arms and saw three black open wounds leaking puss. My stomach churned, and I covered my mouth to keep herself from vomiting. I took in a shaky breath to calm myself. "But I'm going to get better, right? This disease isn't deadly, is it?"

The doctor raised one shoulder in a half shrug, which didn't soothe my fears one bit. "I haven't heard of anyone dying from it yet. Though as I've said, it is relatively new."

I buried my face in my hands. How did I even get this disease? I'd stayed by my father's side the entire trip. I didn't _'mingle'_ with any locals or eat or drink any questionable foods or drinks. I quickly thought through every detail of the trip, trying to figure out how I could have gotten sick.

A fleeting image of a defenseless calico kitten flashed before my eyes. I inwardly groaned. Why did I have to save that stupid cat? It probably had hundreds of diseases. But I knew I couldn't just leave it to die. It was stuck in the middle of the road and would have been run over if it weren't for me. The kitten had probably died already anyway, and now I could be next.

"I will be here every day to check on you and to provide any new remedies that I can think of. For now, stick with the poultices and remain in bed for the rest of the week. I prepared some poultices already and left them downstairs. I wish there was more I could do, but for now this will have to work." The medic nodded to my father before leaving the room.

I nervously tugged on my hair, the long blonde strands falling over my shoulders. My father stared at me with pitying eyes. I couldn't help but notice that he was keeping his distance. The fact hurt. I wanted to be held by my father more than ever now.

"I'll bring the poultices up." My father quickly left the room.

I sighed. The doctor said no one had died from this disease, so that meant I would make a full recovery. It would just take a while to get there.

I wrung her hands, careful to avoid looking at the festering wounds. I began to wonder how bad it would get before it got better. I stared at a spot in my floor where the floorboards were loose and my mother's diary was hidden underneath. Reading that always made me feel better, but I knew if I tried to get up now, I would probably feint again. I couldn't ask my father to grab it for me either. If he knew I had it, he would take it away, and I would never see it again. It was all I had left of her. I couldn't risk losing it.

I reluctantly slid back down into my bed. The doctor said that in order for me to get better, I needed to rest. So rest I would.

* * *

**A/N - So I may alternate back and forth between The Untold Stories and Dead Debts for a bit, just because I tend to write more for one during the week and I want to keep weekly updates. And since this sort of coincides with Dead Debts, I decided to do a Kairi prequel. Let me know what you think! Maybe I'll give all my OCs prequel stories eventually. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	29. The Story of Kairi Part 2

**The Story of Kairi Part 2**

Three days. That's how long it took for me to die. I saw it coming. And though no one else would admit it, they saw it coming too.

I had followed the physician's orders exactly: change the poultices every hour and continue to get plenty of rest. But each day I had only gotten worse. When I woke in a coughing fit on the third day and nearly blacked out from the pain, I knew I had reached my end.

There had been signs that I wasn't going to get better for a while now. The doctor had announced he would no longer be checker up on me, that he had other patients to attend to. He hadn't said it, but I knew his other patients were ones he could save. I didn't make that list.

My family had been careful to stay out of my room at all costs. Only my _papà_ visited, and even he kept his distance, never stepping more than one foot into my bedroom. Though he did his best to hide it from me, I could hear him crying at night through the walls. I missed human touch and compassion. What did it feel like to not be miserable?

The black sores on my arms had spread to the rest of my body, and I had developed swollen lumps in my armpits the size of chicken eggs. I knew that I looked terrible and was grateful that I didn't have a mirror in my bedroom. I knew that if I saw myself, I'd probably feint in terror, and yet the situation was so dire that Marco wasn't even taunting me for the way I looked.

Death could not come soon enough. I should have been alarmed at the thought of dying, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to care. Anything to end this constant agony. How could life be so cruel?

I'm not sure when the exact moment of my death was. The details were hazy thanks to all the pain. I couldn't say whether I was awake or asleep, or whether I was surrounded by loved ones or alone. But I do remember the moment I realized I was dead.

The pain vanished. I wanted to weep from relief, but a second later I realized that I was engulfed in darkness. I was cold, frighteningly cold. The darkness swallowed me. So this was it. Death was truly an eternity of darkness. I guess I wasted all that time in church for nothing.

Everything suddenly changed. I was still surrounded by darkness, but now it felt tangent, like I was floating through liquid. Without warning, I found myself standing alone in the middle of a thick, dark fog. I stared at my new surroundings in shock. What was going on? Where had this come from?

"Hello, Novella," a deep voice drawled.

I screamed and hurriedly turned my head in all directions, trying to find the source of the low voice. At first, I didn't see anything, but when I search again, I noticed a pair of glowing red eyes staring at me through the fog. I cautiously peered closer. Since when did people have red eyes?

The speaker stepped forward, and I stepped back. My heart raced in fear. None of this was normal. Where was I? And who was this startlingly pale little boy standing in front of me? "I understand how confused you must be," the small child said, his voice unusually deep for someone his age. He lifted his chin, his inky black hair falling away from his face. "Allow me to explain and give you a proper greeting. Welcome to the Land of the Dead. I am Death."

I tried to form words, but nothing came out of my mouth. Death? Like _the_ Death? The grim reaper who went around collecting souls of the damned could not be talking to me right now. He was a myth, not a real person.

"I trust you know that you are dead. If not, now you do. You're death was the result of a little experiment of one of my brother's and mine. We're quite proud of what we've done and have decided to keep you around as a reminder of our achievement." Death paused for a moment to let his words sink in. He could pause for a year, and I still wouldn't understand what he had just said. I was a trophy to him? "There are others like you who I will introduce to you shortly. But first, I thought I would show you your new home." He appraised me with fascinated eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably under his pleased gaze. "Why me?" The words slipped through my lips without thought. I wasn't even sure what I was asking. Luckily, Death apparently did.

"Don't even begin to think you did something to deserve your death. We simply picked someone at random to be the victim of our new disease. Personally, I think it's our best one yet. The symptoms we created are marvelous. It kills quicker than we expected it to however. My reapers will have their hands full for the next few years." Death waved his hand dismissively. "Enough about our plague. Let me take you to a few reapers and returners of mine. They will get you settled into your new life." He abruptly spun on his heal and walked away.

I didn't want to follow him, but something told me that if I didn't, he'd find a way to make me come along. I had a million questions I wanted to ask. Death's introduction was short and made me more confused than satisfied. But the thought of meeting other people like me intrigued me. Maybe they would be able to answer my questions.

Death and I walked in silence for only a few minutes. He led me to a new area where the fog wasn't so intense, and I could actually see farther than five feet in front of me. Three people were waiting for us when we got there. They all appeared to be different ages, but everyone had the same short, jet black hair, glowing red eyes, and blindingly white skin. How did they tell each other apart? They all wore their hair in different styles, but surely that wasn't enough to know who was who.

A girl, around my own age, glanced up as Death and I walked over. She spoke to the boy next to her in a language I didn't understand, and then stood to greet Death with a small curtsy, adjusting her glasses as she rose. "Hello, sir. Can we help you?"

"Colette, meet Novella. She is new and needs someone to show her around. I'll charge your list to someone else for the week so you can take care of her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

I jumped as a shadow shot up out of the ground, creating an oval portal that Death disappeared into. Colette chuckled at my response. "Welcome to the dead life newbie. You'll get used to it soon enough. What's your name?"

I hesitated. Was this girl hard of hearing? Death just told her my name. "My name's Novella."

She laughed again. Why was everything so funny to this girl? Was she _pazza_? "No, I mean your new name. I'm assuming Death didn't tell you that you're going to need a new identity. You can't be Novella when Novella's supposed to be dead. So, I'll ask again. What's your name? Think carefully, you only get to choose once."

I recalled all the names I had ever thought were pretty. What was the name of the sorceress in the book I was reading? Hester? I inwardly winced. Um, no. As much I enjoyed that book and that character, I did not want to go by Hester for the rest of my life. Or death? Was this permanent?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. My list of questions only grew longer. Figure out a new identity first, get answers to everything else later. I thought about the other characters in the book. There was a queen named Malina. Eh, it was okay. It still didn't feel right. What about the princess who stole the prince's heart away from the witch? Her name had been Kairi. Hmm... That sounded perfect.

"Kairi. My name is Kairi." I smiled at my new identity.

Colette nodded her approval. "Nice to meet you, Kairi. I'm Colette. These are my friends Eve and Hugh." She gestured to the other two people with us. They paused their conversation and threw my half-hearted waves before returning to their chat. What a great welcome comity.

I crossed my arms and looked back at Colette, ready to bombard her with questions. She picked up what was about to happen and stopped me before I could even open my mouth. "I know you're probably confused and have a lot of questions, but let me give you a quick inaugural speech before you ask anything. First, I know you want to, but you cannot go home. A lot of us didn't get the chance to say goodbye to our loved ones before we died, but unfortunately there's nothing we can do. I wouldn't even suggest going to your home country for at least one hundred years. Time flies quickly when you're dead though."

The gravity of her words hit me. I didn't even think about seeing my family until now. I couldn't see them? My initial shock and confusion was starting to fade and the heavy emotions slowly set in. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back the tears. I'd never get to help my _papà_ in his shop again. I even felt a sharp pang at the thought of never fighting with Marco again, or being scolded by Sarah for something trivial.

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder and reluctantly opened my eyes. Colette was offering me an empathetic grin. "I know it's hard. Trust me, it gets better. You might be able to see them again when they die."

I wiped away the few tears that had fallen. "How long have you been dead?"

"About one thousand years," Colette responded with ease.

I nearly choked on my own saliva. "One thousand years? That's insane!"

Colette shrugged. "Technically I'm one thousand and seventy-three years old. I've met others like us who are much older though. It's not that impressive." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. The rest was pulled back into a low ponytail. "So are you a Reaper or a Returner?"

"What?" It was like she was speaking a foreign language to me.

"Are you here because you chose to be, or are you a part of Death's collection?" She tilted her head at me. I was grateful for her patience with my lack of knowledge.

"Uh, Death's collection?" I guessed. "He said I was the result of an experiment between him and one of his brothers. I died from this new disease that's going around."

"So you're a Returner then. That's better than being a Reaper I suppose. You'll still get summoned to do Death's bidding every once in a while, but you won't have a daily list to fulfil." Seeing my confused expression, Colette went on. "I'm a Reaper. I chose this position. When I died, Death gave me a choice: eternal death or eternal living death. Obviously, I went with the living death option. Each day my list fills up with the names of people who are going to die. I need to be there when they do to collect their souls and carry them to the final resting place." She pulled out a blank piece of paper. "It's empty now because I'm done for the day, and Death said he would give me the rest of the week of to show you the ropes. It's not so bad." She shrugged and put her empty list away. "Being dead has its advantages."

"Like what?" I eyed her with renewed interest. The idea that there were perks to this new life intrigued me. What did I have in store for me?

Colette grinned like that was her favourite question. "I'll show you soon enough. I like you, Kairi. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends. The dead always stick together. No matter what. We're all we have."

* * *

**A/N - Another Kairi prequel chapter. I'll try to get back to Dead Debts for next week. College has been tough this year and it's hard to feel inspired to write. Anyway, as always, don't forget to review!**


End file.
